Alchemic Wizardry
by SevenBlazingSkies
Summary: Amestris has finally taken notice of the Wizarding World. Ed is sent as an Amestrian representative, but what happens when he gets involved with the Order of the Pheonix, and gets accepted to Hogwarts? Will he be able to keep his cover? How long until his old enemies find him again? Rated T for Edward.
1. Chapter 1: The Mission

**WARNING- this is my first fanfic, so please don't expect too much! **

**NOTE- This takes place in the fifth book of Harry Potter, and shortly after the incident at fifth laboratory in FMAB. **

_Italics=_Thoughts

_Underlined italics=_Memories

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

**Onto the story then!**

Chapter 1- The Mission

Ed was already in a bad mood when he ordered to go to the colonel's office. Al hated him, Ed was stuck in a hospital, Winry was throwing wrenches, and his nap had been interrupted; now he had to deal with the Flame Colonel with a god complex. He quite literally kicked the door open, and dropped into a chair. There sat the Colonel, desk full of paperwork that had been lazily brushed to the side, wearing a smug expression. Behind him stood a dutiful Riza Hawkeye, gun in hand. "Someone's in a bad mood" Mustang stated. "Just tell me why I was called here already!" Ed snapped. "tsk tsk. Short temper as usual Fullmetal" the colonel replied

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL YOU CANT SEE HIM WITHOUT A MICROSCOPE?!"

"well, there most certainly isn't anyone else who fits the term in here is there?"

Ed growled, before saying "just tell me why I'm here so I can leave, colonel bastard" upon seeing the colonels face grow serious, Ed looked up, impatiently waiting. "Well Fullmetal, you're getting some time off out of the country" Mustang said. "WHAT?!" Ed exclaimed. "I can't take time off! Especially not now, with all that's happening! I have a whole bunch of things to figure out, and I can't rest until Al has his body back!" Mustang sighed, he knew his young subordinate would react like this. "Hear me out Fullmetal. This mission could prove useful to you." Ed, who was preparing to continue his protest, froze, before shutting his mouth showing he was willing to listen.

"You've heard of England, correct? On the continent beyond the sea East of Xing?" Mustang questioned. Ed nodded. He did, vaguely know the country, from his father's research, as well as his own. "We've gotten new of a peculiar phenomenon. There are people there who seem to be performing some form of Alchemy, only they seem to bypass every law of alchemy there is. They make things out of thin air, change living beings into inanimate objects and back, make solutions that cause you to turn into someone else, or even create chimeras at the wave of a stick. They can torture with a single word, or control a person's actions in entirety. What's even stranger is that people who use the technique don't learn it. They are either born with it or they're not, though there are schools that help these people hone their skills. The Furhur want to send a state alchemist to investigate, and if possible make an ally of them." Mustang explained. Ed scoffed. "That's ridiculous. Next thing you'll tell me is that magic is real. Besides how is this useful to me? And why me in the first place? I'm not exactly a good politician"

"Actually Fullmetal, we have witnesses, and apparently the people there _do _refer to it as magic. The people who use it are called wizards, and they apparently used what they call wands. I think it's a bunch of nonsense, just like you, but Amestris can't take chances right now, not with enemies on almost every front." Mustang said. Ed looked surprised, and skeptical. "As for why we are sending you, I think you need to get out of Amestris for a bit, as your enemies are making very bold moves at the moment. Also, their technique seems to bypass equivalent exchange, which means you may be able to use it in order to reach your goal." Mustang added. This got Ed's attention. The Philosophers stone had been a dead end, and if this strange power in England was like the colonel had said, it was very possible they could get their bodies back. "Will Al be able to come back with me?" Ed asked. _Will Al even want to come with me anymore? _He thought dejectedly. "No. Alphonse sticks out way too much to come along. But you will be able to get in touch." Mustang said. Ed groaned, no Al. "How long do I have?" Ed asked. "Does this mean you're taking the job?" Mustang asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't have a choice do I?" Ed said with a small sigh. "Good. You'll be there for a year, the details are in this packet, and someone will come to take you 3 days from now." He said handing Ed a rather thick packet, outlining his mission.

As Ed got up to leave, the colonel's voice said "watch your back Edward. These people are extremely dangerous" Ed's eyes widened, shocked by the colonels use of his name, and the genuine care used to say it. He then waved a hand in acknowledgement, before walking out the door. "Sir, do you think he'll be alright?" Hawkeye asked. "He'll be fine. That brat is hard to kill" Mustang said, a hint of pride etched into his voice.

* * *

Ed stood out on the balcony, thinking things over. The whole place seemed off. No Equivalent Exchange, and people are born with the odd technique rather than actually learning it. However, there are schools that help hone their skills. _Could this technique really be the answer Al and I have been looking for?_ Ed didn't like how little he knew. Nothing too specific had been included. _I guess it's my job to get the specifics_. As Ed mused, there was the sound of metal on pavement, alerting him to reality. He turned to see his brother, Alphonse standing there awkwardly. "bro-"

"You know Al, we haven't had a good fight in a while, I'm starting to get flabby" Ed stated, turning around. "What? Wait I-" Al said trying again. Ed kicked off his slippers and charged. Alarmed, Al continued to attempt speaking as his brother attacked him, only to end up on the ground, Ed above him. "I finally beat you!" he declared. "It's the first time" he added, dropping down to the ground by his brother. "We used to always fight like this, didn't we?" Ed said. "Yeah, we fought over a lot of things" Al said. "Some were pretty stupid too! Like when we fought over toys." Ed continued. "Or books, or who got the top bunk" Al said. The two both felt the warm sense of nostalgia for what were once their lives. "Are those memories fake Al?" Ed asked, seriously. "No. they're real" al said.

"And your determination to be whole again?"

"It's not fake, it's real"

"We have to stick together. We _will_ get our bodies back, no matter what it takes. We'll become faster, stronger, smarter, and one day…." Ed trailed off. "And the milk?" Al said teasingly. "_Milk_?! Maybe a little…" Ed grumbled.

* * *

As the two brother lied in bed that night, Ed decided it was about time Al found about his little mission. "Hey Al, I got another assignment from colonel bastard."

"Really? What is it this time?" al asked. "I have to go to England for a year to investigate a technique they use, and possibly make an ally of them." Ed said. "What kind of technique?" al asked. "apparently they can teleport, create illusions, torture, kill, make chimeras, turn living things into objects, make absolute commands, or immobilize simply by waving sticks and say one or two words. They completely bypass equivalent exchange, all laws of physics, all without thought! Not to mention they don't even learn it. They're either born with it, or they're not. It's so weird! It shouldn't be possible, yet we have multiple sources who saw it all" Ed practically ranted. "Ed, this sounds too much like magic in a fairy tale, are these sources even reliable?" Al asked. "I think so, two were citizens, and one was a soldier on vacation" Ed reasoned. "Do you think that maybe they have stones?" Al suggest, practically whispering it. "I doubt it. There are millions of people who can do these things, way too many sacrifices would be needed to go unnoticed, or even to be possible. Remember, all of Xerxes was need, just to make one" Ed said, shivering at the thought of the stone.

"Good point... They sound really dangerous brother. Are you sure this is ok? Why didn't they send the colonel or someone of higher standing?" Al asked, clearly concerned. "Mustang said that I needed to get out of the country for a while, and that it could be beneficial to our search for a way to get our bodies back. For once I agree, if they can bypass equivalent exchange…" Ed trailed off, knowing that his brother understood well what that would mean. After a long silence, Al asked the question.

"I'm guessing I can't come?" Ed shook his head. "Mustang said you would stand out too much, but we should be able to contact each other, probably through mustang, since I have to give reports." Ed could just picture the disappointed look on Al's face, if he had a body. "So I won't see you for a whole year?" Ed stared at his brother, "yeah. I guess we'll both be pretty lonely. What are you planning on doing? Are you going to keep traveling?" Al shook his head. "I think I'll do more research in central, but I'll let you know if I decide to go somewhere" Ed nodded. "at least ill know where to contact you" As Ed fidgeted around to a comfortable position on his bed he muttered, just loud enough for Al to hear "I'll miss you Al" The younger Elric felt warmth, not physically, but internally. He wasn't sure why or how, only that he was truly glad Ed was his real brother, and that nothing Barry the Chopper said had been valid. The love he had for his brother was very real, and it was what kept him from losing hope.

* * *

Ed sat at the bench in the train station at Central. He was honestly dreading the train ride. Of course, he was used to trains, and grew to find them reasonably comfortable at times, though sitting on a train for 2 days was something entirely different. Al had packed him food, and Winry had given her speech on automail care, as well as taken the liberty of packing a care kit as she wouldn't be able to come to do repairs. When the train arrived, and started boarding, Ed turned to Al. "I guess this is goodbye for a while" he said. "good luck brother, be careful and watch who you anger" Al warned, knowing full well that his brother's temper would not stay in check. "yeah yeah. I'll contact you ASAP. You watch out too, those guys from the lab said some things that didn't sit right with me. Let me know if anything happens" Ed said. He then grinned, before turning to board the train, bracing himself for the long train ride.

Ed decided to flip through the unusually large packet, which he had neglected to do until now, providing himself with the excuse that it could be a good way of spending a small chunk of the train ride. His skepticism towards the entire mission only increased, as he read about the many claims made by the sources. There were things such as "being lifted into the air by the ankle" "flying broomsticks that people ride on" "flying balls that try to kill you" "ability to erase memories" or even something as outrageous as being able to "walk into fires, and come out in a completely different fireplace". He didn't know what to make of it, every theory he made in his mind was immediately shot down by different facts. _What the hell have I gotten myself into? _Ed thought to himself. There was a document that seemed to be ripped from a newspaper, and Ed was stunned to put it mildly.

The pictures were _moving. _

As he almost fell out of his seat I shock, some people looked at him strangely. He recovered slightly, as his mind raced. It was in English, but thankfully Ed had studied the language before leaving. He did have an idea of basic phrases in English, mostly though translating research notes, but now, he could read and speak the language somewhat fluently. As he skimmed the paper, he only grew more confused. _Is it a video? No, this is regular paper, no way this could be video. A projection? From where? Being carried around? No, that doesn't make much sense either. What the hell s this crap anyway? Triwizard tournament? Quidditch World Cup? Death Eater. Who is You-Know-Who? Does everyone call him that? surely he has a name. Ministry of Magic?! _As his mind flew from one thought to the next, he continued to skim the odd document. None of this was even relative to England. Nowhere in England was there a place called Diagon Alley, nor was there a school called Hogwarts as his memory served.

Then he remembered something the colonel had told him.

_"__What's even stranger is that people who use the technique don't learn it. They are either born with it or they're not, though there are schools that help these people hone their skills."_

Hogwarts was probably one of those schools, which would probably not be listed in the normal media. As Ed continued to read and think, hours passed in which he was absorbed in the current task. There were several similar documents, all of which had the seemingly unexplainable moving pictures. Ed soon found that the people in the pictures even reacted to touch. When he had placed a gloved finger on a person's face, they acted like they had been punched. Ed didn't know what to make of it. Were these people alive in the photo? Was there some sort of sensory device? But why go through all the trouble? His next surprise came when the man in one photo, an escaped convict with shaggy hair and a feral grin, simply walked out of the photo, and into another one of what Ed assumed was their minister.

Was this an example of what these people called "magic"?

Ed decided to leave the enigmatic document, and continued to flip through the file. There were a few handwritten files, concerning certain people. He read names such as Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge(Ed couldn't help but snort when he read that. what kind of name _was_ that?) Sirius Black, Harry Potter, and to Ed's great surprise, Nicholas Flamel. Upon seeing the name of the famous alchemist, Ed immediately went on to read the information. None of it seemed correct to him.

_…__.Nicholas Flamel is a well known Alchemist, and the only known creator of the philosophers stone. Originally working in partnership with Albus Perciville Wilfrick Brian Dumbledore, as well as the well known Auroleus Phillipus Theostratus Bombastus von Hohenheim, AKA Paracelsus. Due to use of the elixir of life provided by the stone, Flamel lived until the age of 665, when he ran out of elixir, after decideing to stop using the stone…_

Ed didn't know what to make of it. Flamel made a philosophers stone? He worked with Hohenheim? The stone was destroyed? Millions of thoughts went through Ed's mind, though a dominating thought was accompanied by a feeling of absolute loathing. That bastard of a father left them, to go gallivanting around with these _"wizards"_, and helped create a philosophers stone? Ed felt sick, thinking of Xerxes.

Nothing made sense to the young alchemist. Everything was becoming a jumble of thoughts, and the words were becoming blurred out. Ed wasn't even sure what he felt anymore. Anger? Confusion? Frustration? Or maybe he was just tired, which would explain why his mind simply refused to work. _Come to think of it, I didn't get much sleep last due to that wrench induced headache. Dammit. _Noting nothing else that stuck out in the informational packet, Ed closed it, before laying his head against the window, and almost immediately falling asleep.

When the train finally reached the stop, Ed was beyond ecstatic. He jumped up, and stretched his flesh leg still adjusting to the weight. He grabbed his brief case and walked out of the train, looking around. Mustang had told him that once he got off the train someone would come to pick him up, though Ed didn't really understand why here. Either way he would be taking a ship right? Wouldn't it be easier if they picked him off there? Ed shuddered at the thought of the boat ride. He could already feel his ports ache from the thought. Ed thought back to what Mustang had told him.

_"__There will be someone at the station waiting for. You'll know him when you see him, trust me. He's a "wizard" apparently" _

Keeping these words in mind, Ed looked around and saw an old man, wearing a midnight blue dress like garment, and a pointy hat. He was sitting on a bench, and Ed noticed most people giving him a wide birth. Ed mentally groaned. _This is the guy isn't it? Mustang you bastard. _

Ed walked up to the man cautiously. "are you the one who the colonel told to meet me?" he asked. The man gave a kind smile, saying ""why yes I am. Edward Elric, correct?" Ed nodded.

"Very well. I am Albus Dumbledore, it is a pleasure to meet you Edward." The man replied, eyes twinkling.

**Well that's it! I apologize this was rather short (hopefully not as short as Ed.) I promise the chapters will get longer and better soon! Next chapter we will have a lot more HP characters to look forward to! Until then, whether you like it, hate it, or really don't care, feedback is always a wonderful thing!**

**Thank you for reading. **

**- SevenBlazingSkies**


	2. Chapter 2: The Order

**Hello! I am back with another chapter! Thank you so much for the good reviews on chapter 1, it means a lot. **

**I also apologize for the little issue in the last chapter with the ****_underlined italics._**** When I switched it over to here they seem to have disappeared… oh well! For future notice, **

_Thoughts_

_"memories"_

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARY POTTER SERIES!**

**Onto the story!**

_Ed walked up to the man cautiously. "are you the one who the colonel told to meet me?" he asked. The man gave a kind smile, saying "why yes I am. Edward Elric, correct?" Ed nodded. _

_"Very well. I am Albus Dumbledore, it is a pleasure to meet you Edward." The man replied, eyes twinkling._

Chapter 2- The Order

"Dumbledore?!" Ed said loudly, causing several people to stare oddly at him. Dumbledore chuckled, "Yes, Edward. I am Dumbledore, though I would appreciate it if you didn't say my name so loudly in these parts, for the sake of unwanted attention" Ed snorted. "Too late for that old man, you stick out like a sore thumb in that getup" giving a light chuckle, Dumbledore said "yes, very true, though that is not the type of attention I was talking about. Times have changed, and precautions are becoming necessary." Ed huffed, still unsatisfied, but accepting that now was neither the time nor the place for _that _conversation.

"if that is sorted out, then I would like you to come with me" he said, motioning for Ed to start walking. As they walked Ed asked "where are you taking me? The docks are in the opposite direction" Ed said, trying to keep up with the wizard's long strides. "We aren't taking a boat, Edward. As for where we are going, simply somewhere less public" he responded, sending Edward into more thoughts. _What does he mean 'not taking a boat?' how the hell else are we supposed to travel across the damn sea?!_ Then a thought occurred to him. The file Mustang had given him had said something about these people having "flying broomsticks that people ride on" and could "walk into fires, and come out in a completely different fireplace". He also remembered the colonel saying something about them being able to teleport. Ed wasn't exactly ready to believe it, but he knew that with these people, he had to keep an open mind, else he wouldn't find any answers. If he wanted to make sense of what was going on, he had no choice but to get involved in it, as much as he hated the prospect of defying the teachings which had been drilled into him by a certain housewife.

The two walked into an almost completely empty pub, it was dirty and unused. As a matter of fact, to the untrained eye, the door to the pub could go completely unnoticed, but that wasn't the odd part. Despite the fact they were in Xing, absolutely no one in the pub looked or seemed to speak Xingese. "Hey old man, where is this place anyway?" Ed asked. "This, Edward, is the Leaky Cauldron. It is a Wizarding chain, with locations almost worldwide" Dumbledore explained.

"Ah! Albus, back again? And what's this? You brought an Amestrian?" said the grubby bartender. "Yes, young Edward here is a researcher who wishes to take a look at what the wizarding world has to offer" Dumbledore said. "Oh I see! A bit young for heavy research aren't you kid? What are you, 12?" the bartender asked. "WHORE YOU CALLING SO SMALL TODDLERS LOOK DOWN AT HIM?! I'M 15 DAMMIT!" Ed yelled, causing everyone present to turn and stare, clearly shocked. "I said nothing like that! Sorry kid!" the bartender said hastily. "Stop calling me that!" Ed said. Dumbledore chuckled saying "yes, he does have a slight sensitivity when It comes to height" Ed grumbled before saying "so why are we here? Shouldn't we be heading off?" Dumbledore turned and gave him a serious look.

"Before you enter the Wizarding World, there are a few things you should be made aware of, unless you wish to stick out as a non-magical person" he said gravely. Ed tried his best not to snort at the words "wizarding" or "non-magical" though it took a good amount of will. "Like what?" he asked. "Perhaps it would be better if we sat down and had a drink" he said, and soon they were both sitting at a table, Dumbledore holding a mug of mysterious liquid Ed wasn't sure if he wanted to know the name of.

"So what is it you wanted me to know?" Ed asked.

"Edward, I know you are skeptical at the idea of magic. It is only natural, considering your background and occupation. I simply ask that you try not to expose this fact too much. People in the Wizarding community don't always take kindly to skeptics." Dumbledore began. Ed mentally groaned, _so the old fart just wanted to give me lectures?_ Ed nodded however, before asking "what did you mean earlier at the train station, "Times have changed, and precautions are becoming necessary?"

Dumbledore nodded saying "I was getting to that part. You see, a dark wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort came to power. (Ed snorted hearing the name.) He was known as the darkest wizard of all time, and was known for his notorious torturing, killings, and terrorism commited by his minions, the Death Eaters. About 14 years ago, he attacked the Potter family. He killed the two parents, and attempted to kill the son, who was barely a year old, named Harry. However, the spell rebounded and he was defeated instead, leaving young Harry only a scar. The boy is the only known survivor of the killing curse" Ed shivered. These people had such absolute power, to somehow take life with minimal effort. And this man, Voldy-something, was the most disgusting of the folk.

"Many people labeled him dead, however, right before this summer, he returned." Dumbledore said, immediately followed by protest. "That's impossible! The dead don't come back to life." Ed said. "Very true. However, we have reason to believe he was not entirely dead" Dumbledore said gravely. "You mean part of his soul was still bound to the earth? That's the only way I could see it working. " Ed stated. Dumbledore looked somewhat surprised, but nodded. "That is the conclusion I have reached as well, though with no solid proof." Ed wondered, _did this Voldy guy use a blood seal? Or was there a way to bind souls through this odd technique hey had?_

"My point is, he is back in power, and so are his Death Eaters. In response, I have reinstated an organization I founded, in order to counter them, known as the Order of the Pheonix. Their headquarters is where I am going to take you" Dumbledore said.

"Do they have material for me to use for research?" Ed asked. Dumbledore nodded. "They have a library full of books on magic." Ed nodded, accepting these terms.

"Ok, now I want to know something old man. How closely related were you to Flamel's research and creation of the Philosophers stone?" Ed asked, trying to suppress his anger. Dumbledore seemed surprised, but answered calmly. "I helped him with the research, as well as the creation. However, the stone was not complete, and was destroyed a bit more than 3 years ago. A man named Hohenheim warned us of the cost for a complete stone, which I am assuming you know?" Ed nodded, but now he couldn't hide his anger. "You knew that bastard?" he growled. Dumbledore nodded. "I did, I am guessing you do as well?"

"He was my biological father" Ed said, his face hidden in his unruly bangs. "But that's it. He abandoned my family when we were young without a word. If my brother didn't need the restroom, we wouldn't have even seen him go." he said. Dumbledore didn't press on, for which Ed was grateful.

"Well Edward, that was all I wanted to inform you of, so I think it is high time we get going." Dumbledore said standing up. As Ed go up he asked "how are we getting here if were not taking a boat?" he had a feeling he knew the answer, but hoped he was wrong.

"We are going to apparate" Dumbledore said, extending an arm. "What is _that?_" Ed asked, already not liking the sound of it. "It is a form of wizarding transportation. I will warn you though, most people get nauseous the first time they do it."

Ed gulped, but swallowed his anxiety and took the man's arm, hoping he wouldn't come out of this experience maimed. Instantly he felt the sensation of being squeezed through a tube, and stretched around in ways he didn't think possible. It was suffocating, and just as he thought his breath would give out, he landed on pavement. He stumbled, and gulped down as much air as he could get into his lungs, before checking his surroundings.

They were on a very dark street with many houses, and several street lamps. _This most certainly isn't Xing._ "Why couldn't you just use this to come directly to Amestris? What's the point of meeting in Xing?" Ed asked. "Amestris is somehow immune to magical influence. No form of magic can be used to reach your country, due to a different type of power there. So of course we had to meet out of the country" Dumbledore explained.

"What do you mean different power?" Ed asked. "I mean that there is no magical power in Amestris. There most certainly is power, but none that can be used as magic. This power is most likely what you use for Alchemy. I myself do not know many of the details, so it may be better to ask Hohenheim. Though, where he is now is beyond me" Dumbledore said. Ed growled. He would not ask that bastard for help. He would simply have to figure out the problem when he had more material to work with.

Ed looked around, as his eyes adjusted to the dark. Something immediately stuck out to him however, and he looked around to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "Where's 12?" he asked. Dumbledore smiled before handing him a piece of paper. "Please memorize this, and then give it to me" Ed took it and read the hastily scribbled words.

12, Grimmauld Place

Order of the Pheonix Headquarters

Ed nodded, handing it back to Dumbledore, who took out a stick, and touched it to the paper. The paper instantly caught fire, reminding Ed of the colonel's smug face, one which was immediately dismissed as the fire disappeared and Ed began to wonder how on earth it had been done. _Is there a transmutation circle on the stick? No, maybe it's a form of alchemy like mine and teachers, but how does that even work? he hasnt seen truth has he? Maybe pieces of small stones are embedded in the wands? No, I would rather think that's not the case. Maybe- _Ed was interrupted from his musings when there was a rumbling sound. Ed stared in absolute disbelief as a building appeared out of nowhere. _How did they do that?!_ as he was dragged to the front steps of the new house, which Ed assumed was number 12, Dumbledore looked at him once more. "by the way Edward, I have told all the other occupants in this house you are a traveling researcher, born in Germany, and have come to England in order to research the Magical World. I recommend sticking to this story, to avoid unwanted questions." Ed nodded, grateful for the man's consideration. As Ed went to open the door Dumbledore said "I also don't recommend saying anything about Human Transmutation, i hope you have an excuse ready for those fake limbs. you won't be able to hide them for long in that house"

Ed whipped around, shocked. "How did you.."

"I was very good friends with your father Edward. He told me quite a bit about Alchemy and Truth. This combined with what your commanding officer told me of your capabilities, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together, as for the limbs, I can tell by the way you walk" he said, eyes twinkling. Ed gulped but turned. "I wasn't planning on telling anyone anyway, old man. And i already have an excuse, I don't need your help" Dumbledore chuckled and opened the door, leading into a dark musty smelling hallway covered in dust. "Please remain quiet, we don't want to wake anything in the house" Dumbledore warned. Ed gulped, but nodded as he was led to a pair of doors where muffled voices could be heard. Dumbledore knocked, before opening the door. "I do hope I'm no interrupting" he said.

"Albus!"

"Headmaster!"

"Welcome!"

Voices immediately greeted him and he opened the door a bit more, revealing the room's occupants to Ed. "come, we were actually just having dinner! Please sit down Headmaster!" a slightly plump red haired woman said. She turned to ed. "oh and you must be Edward! My my, look at you, have you eaten? Come sit down and we will introduce you to everyone" she said, ushering Ed into the room in a seat next to a sickly looking man, and a shaggy haired one who Ed thought he recognized from somewhere. The woman set a bowl of stew in front of Ed, and he soon realized how hungry he was and immediately dug in. he head Dumbledore saying that he had business to attend to so he couldn't stay long, and after a while, he left, by which time Ed had finished having a large amount of food. He grinned at the woman saying "Your cooking is delicious! Miss…"

"Thank you dear. I'm Molly Weasly, but you can call me Molly" she said.

She went around introducing all of the members and Ed was shocked when he heard Sirius' name. "Aren't you supposed to be wanted serial killer or something?" he asked. People at the table went silent, before Remus said "He was framed. Sirius has not killed anyone" Ed relaxed a bit, though still not ready to trust the man next to him. A red haired boy, Ron, Ed thought his name was, asked "how old are you anyway? 12? 13?"

"15" Ed growled.

"What?" said one twin

"But you're a midget!" said the other.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHRIMP SO SMALL HE COULD RIDE ON THE BACK OF A GRASSHOPPER?!" Ed burst out.

"No one said that mate!" Ron said. Ed huffed, as Hermione asked cautiously, "Professor Dumbledore said you were a traveling researcher. Isn't 15 a bit young for doing such heavy research?" Ed looked at her before saying "I actually got into research starting when I was 5 years old, so I guess I'm kinda a special case!" he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Blimey! 5?!" Ron said. "That's quite impressive" Remus said. Ed smiled, before asking "do you guys have a phone I could use?"

A large majority of them looked at Ed like he was an alien. "A phone? What's that?" asked Ron. Now it was Ed's turn to look at them oddly. "Seriously?! I'm positive England has phones!"

"Oh! You mean that muggle contraption you have for communication?!" said Arthur, sounding a bit too excited for Ed's taste. Hermione looked at him apologetically. "Sorry Edward, but wizarding families don't use technology. So no, we don't have a phone, but if you want, you could borrow an owl and send a letter?" Ed groaned. _Are these people that old fashioned? Next thing you know I'll find out they used feathered pens and ink instead of regular ones. _"Thank you, Hermione." He said, and got up. "I think I will go do that. But first, where am I staying?" Ed asked. "You will be staying in Ron's room. Ron help him carry his things!" Molly said to her youngest son. Ron groaned and got up. He walked out with Ed who said "you don't have to carry it, it's just a briefcase. I travel light." Ron nodded his thanks ad led him to their room.

The room was a good size. There were two beds and a cot set up. "Why are there three?" Ed asked. "Our friend Harry is coming here soon. He was going to sleep here as well" Ron said. "Ok. I'll take the cot" Ed said dropping his briefcase and dropping onto the cot. "You sure? The bed is more comfortable" Ron said. "I'm used to sleeping in odd places. The cot feels more at home than a bed" Ed said remembering all of the hard beds at inns he stayed at. The cot was more comfortable than them, which Ed was glad for. Ron nodded and then went to his bed, which was in the far end of the room. As ed got comfortable there was a loud _crack!_ Which set him on alert. Ed, combat instinct kicking in, kicking out his left leg causing whatever had come in to fall to the ground, and he took the opportunity to back away and survey the enemy.

There on the ground, he saw the twins. "You kick hard, don't you Ed?" the twins said in an eerie unison. "Why the hell did you just appear in our room?!" Ed said, relaxing slightly. "We wanted to talk to the new kid." Said Fred.

"You seem more interesting than ickle ronniekins over there" said George. Just then there was a knock on the door. "What happened? We heard a huge crash" came Hermione's voice. "You can come in!" Ron called, and Hermione, accompanied by Ginny walked in. "what happened? Why are you on the floor?" Hermione asked. "Those two apparated in here and Ed knocked em off their feet" Ron said.

Ginny beamed at him, with a newfound respect. "That's brilliant!" she said. "Where did you learn that anyway? Fred asked.

"When you travel around you go to dangerous places. I guess I kind of picked it up" Ed said.

"Has the meeting started?" Ron asked. Ginny nodded, and the twins grinned. "It seems to be our time to shine" they said, once again in unison. "What are you going to do?" Ed asked. "You see, little Ed," Fred started, resulting in a growl and was ready to attack when he thought better of it. He was, after all, curious as to what the twins had in mind. "We like to develop special products that will be very useful to students looking for information, revenge, or even a good laugh. Such as extendable ears, which we use to eavesdrop on the order meetings" the twins explained.

"That won't do any good. They put an imperturbable charm on it" Ginny said. "How do you know?" Ron asked suspiciously. "Tonks showed me how to tell. Just chuck stuff at the door, if they bounce off, than it's been charmed. I've been chucking dungbombs at it for the last half an hour" Ginny said. Ed made a mental note not to get on Ginny's bad side.

Ed then turned to the twins. "Hey Fred, sometime could you show me these products. I have a few people I know who I would love to get revenge on"

"I'm George! Not Fred" said the twin. "No, you're Fred. Now can you answer the question." Ed said.

"How did you know? Not even mum can tell us apart!" they said together. Ed scoffed. "When I said 'Fred', you responded. Also, your eyes are a bit brighter than George's"

Ron stared trying to notice what Ed had pointed out and said "bloody hell! Your right! How did you notice that?"

"I pay attention. Ed said plainly. "Now, answer the damn question!"

"It would be an honor to support a fellow mischief maker with more ammunition!" they said matter of factly.

"Thank you. Now, do any of you have something to write on? I want to contact some people" Ed said. "I have some parchment you can use, do you need a quill too?" Hermione said. Ed blinked. _They actually use those? _"Uh… no thanks, I've got a pen" he said. Hermione nodded and said "I'll go get that then" Ginny left as well, followed by the twins, and Ron saying something about 'needing some food' _didn't we just have dinner? _Ed wondered. Hermione came back with a few rolls of parchment. "Here you are. If you don't mind my asking, who are you writing to?"

"My little brother" Ed said. "You have a little brother?" Hermione asked. "Yeah, he's doing research back at home. He will worry if I don't contact him soon" Ed said. She nodded. "Is it nice to have a brother? I'm an only child, so I wouldn't know, but Ron always complains about his brothers" Ed laughed. "Well, me and Al have been through a lot together, so were pretty close. But I suppose it depends on the family"

She smiled and nodded, before leaving to give him his privacy. Ed sighed, and began writing, warmth filling him as he thought of his little brother. This warmth quickly disappeared as he remembered that he also had to write a report to the colonel.

* * *

When Ed finished writing his report and his letter to Al, he rolled up the parchment and went to ask Lupin for an owl. Lupin gladly said he could use the owl and Ed uncertainly tied the envelope containing the two letters. The owl looked at him as if waiting for something, and Ed said "uh, take this to Roy mustang at central command in Amestris" the owl flew away and Ed vaguely wondered what would happen if the owl dropped the letters. He shuddered at the thought. A_t least its all coded._ he reassured himself. _Stupid 'wizards'. Completely impractical._ _What's wrong with using a phone? Or normal post? What's so bad about using paper and pen?_

Ed yawned, heading back to his new room, Ron was snoring in his bed, and Ed swiftly took off his coat, and boots, before dropping onto his bed, and falling asleep.

**That's it! If some people are OOC I'm sorry, I'll try to fix it. This was a lot of fun to write I must say, especially the twins and their shenanigans. **

**Thank you for reading.**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	3. Chapter 3: Bonds

**I'm back with chapter 3! **

**Also, in this chapter we will see a bit more of the fact ed is foreign, and speaks another language. Im not giving him an accent though, and that will be explained in this chapter. **

**_Amestrian_**

**EDITED (9/7/14) Thank you Empressofxing, monkeydnatsu, and (whichever guest told me about the inconsistencies)**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

**Onto the story then!**

_Ed yawned, heading back to his new room, Ron was snoring in his bed, and Ed swiftly took off his coat, and boots, before dropping onto his bed, and falling asleep._

Chapter 3- Bonds

"I call NOT waking him up!" Ron said, while the twins, Hermione, and Ginny looked stunned and the golden haired boy below. He was curled up in a large mass of quilts and blankets (provided by Mrs. Weasly) and he seemed to be panting. His face was covered, but they could tell by the trembling, Ed was having a rather disturbing dream. They could just barely make out the mutterings from under the blankets.

He was muttering in in an odd language, though he sounded like he was in pain, the wizards above him were all confused, except Hermione who seemed horrified.

"What the bloody hell is he goin' on about?" Ron asked. "He told me yesterday. He has a little brother, called Alphonse, I think. Maybe something happened to him? He sounds like he's pleading..." she trailed off, though they all seemed to understand. The question was raised in everyone's mind. _Who is this kid?_

"Well, we should wake him up then." Ginny said, interrupting the silence. "We'll do it!" the twins said, seeming to get an odd glint in their eyes that no one particularly liked. However, no one objected, considering that they themselves didn't want to do it.

The twins kneeled down on either side of the blonde teen, and whispered "hey little Eddie! Wakey wakey!" the twins said. Instantly they were both holding their stomachs, though one was in a lot more pain than the other, and Ed was sitting upright, yelling something in the odd language, though Hermione thought she knew what he said. He looked around at everyone's confused expressions and realized the problem. "Sorry" he said, before spotting the twins. "Don't you know how to wake a person up normally?!"

However, no one spoke (besides the groans from the twins). They were staring at Ed's now exposed right arm. "What happened?" Ginny finally spoke up. Ed followed their gazes and his eyes softened slightly. "A stupid mistake when I was young" he said. "What do you mean?" asked Ron, obviously not taking the hint to leave the subject alone. "Nothing you need to know about" he said, this time sending a clear message.

"You speak other languages?" Ron asked. "Of course he does! He's a _traveling_ researcher isn't he?" Ginny pointed out. "But why don't you have an accent?" Hermione asked. "I learned a lot of languages, and during my research I use them frequently. So, I guess I lost it" Ed said. Hermione looked rather skeptical, but they didn't press the issue.

"So what are you all doing here in the first place?" Ed asked. "You weren't waking up, so Ron called us" Hermione explained. Ed nodded, as if in complete understanding. "Well, I'm awake now. So if you don't mind, I want some food" They nodded and left Ed to his privacy.

Once out of earshot, Hermione turned to Ron. "You insensitive idiot!" she scolded. "What?" he asked. "Do you honestly think he's going to tell us about a horrible part of his past after 2 days of knowing us? No one wants to remember how they lost their limbs Ronald!"

"But still, you have to wonder" one twin said.

"What did Eddie do to lose his entire arm?" the other finished. "And what language was he even speaking? It doesn't sound like one I recognize" Ginny added.

"He'll tell us when he's comfortable. I'm sure of it" Hermione said. "You just want to have faith in him cause he's handsome" Ron muttered. "Th-that's not true and you know it!" Hermione said, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.

* * *

Ed was rather annoyed that he had been found out so quickly. Then again, he hadn't expected otherwise. He was also slightly relieved, hearing that he didn't have any sort of accent when he spoke English. During the train ride, Ed had vigorously practiced the English customs, forcing himself to say words without an accent. He didn't want people to pester him about his native country, and accents got in the way. It wasn't as hard as he assumed, considering he already knew a good amount of the language, and had learned quite a bit from the odd newspaper he took time to study. Even so, Ed took time to practice by being a bit more talkative than he would normally be.

The main challenge was that on top of regular English phrases, there were odd names and titles these people give. _Who on earth would want to be known as the "supreme mugwump" or whatever it was?_ Ed had also heard the term 'muggle' bounce around, which he had concluded meant someone who couldn't use their technique. Ed loathed the word, it made people without their technique seem less human, like chimeras.

Ed gave a long sigh, he had been in the library since he had breakfast. Taking out his pocket watch, he saw it was past 9:00. That was another thing Ed didn't understand about wizard. They didn't have clocks in their homes. He was ready to delve into another book when out of nowhere he heard a loud shrill yell. "FILTH! SCUM! ROTTEN, NO GOOD HALF BREEDS, MUTANTS, MUDBLOODS, AND WORST OF ALL MUGGLES! BE GONE FROM THIS PLACE! HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE NOBLE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!"

Ed was already in a bad mood from his abrupt awakening, his lack of progress, and the prospect of reading the colonel's response to his report, so when he heard this he had just about had it. he ran down the hall and yelled "whoever the hell is yelling needs to SHUT UP before I punch something!" when he reached the scene he saw a portrait of a lady who was yelling, and brandishing her fists. Sirius was attempting to close the curtain, which was somehow resisting, and Tonks was standing by an overturned umbrella stand which looked suspiciously like a limb to Ed. Next to Tonks was a dark haired boy with glasses holding his ears. In the back were a few other people, among them was Remus, a horribly scarred man, and a very tall, dark skinned man, as well as some faces Ed couldn't make out. Ed walked up to portrait, thoroughly tired of these paintings. He had seen them all over the house, and had originally wanted to study them. But He hoped that they weren't all as irritating and loud as this one. He took the other end of the curtain which Sirius was trying to close, and yanked on it, causing both sides to fly closed, and the voice to fade to nothing. "I've had it with all of you people and your racist take on society!" Ed huffed. "Can't you take it down?"

Sirius shook his head. "There's a charm on her picture. We've tried everything. It's stuck" Ed groaned. He then turned to the boy who looked relieved the noise was gone. "So who're you?" Ed asked. The boy looked a bit surprised but said "Harry. Harry Potter" _Potter? Isn't he supposed to be famous? I remember Dumbledore mentioned him, so did the packet Mustang gave me. _he put out his hand which Ed took saying "Edward Elric. But you can call me Ed" He nodded, giving a small smile, before turning to Sirius. They exchange a hug and Ed gave a confused glance to Tonks. "Harry is Sirius' godson." Tonks whispered to him. Ed nodded but also found it rather ironic. "So you have a boy famous for defeating a dark wizard, and his godfather is a framed serial killer? Quite the unique family." He muttered. Though, he knew he had no right to think of anyone as abnormal, what with him being a military dog since the age of 12, and his brother being a disembodied suit of armor. They were just as normal as the two men before him.

"Well, I'm starving! You guys should eat too" Ed said before heading to the kitchen.

* * *

"What happened to his arm?" Harry asked as Ed walked into the kitchen. "We don't really know. He was escorted by Dumbledore 2 nights ago, all we know is that he's 15 years old, and a traveling researcher who was orphaned at a young age. That and he has a short temper and a strong punch." Sirius said in a hushed voice "He's a muggle, that's for sure, but he got past anti-muggle enchantments without a single issue."

"Maybe it's because he was with Dumbledore" Tonks said. "That boy is suspicious. You don't lose limbs without doing something extremely dangerous, and his eyes aren't the ones of a normal boy. I don't trust him" Moody said gruffly. "not many people in the order are fond of his being here either, Mad-Eye, but Dumbledore's orders were to keep him here" Sirius said. "Besides, once you get to know him, he's not bad" As they discussed Ed, Harry stayed silent. He himself didn't trust Ed either. From what Sirius had said, the order didn't seem to know anything other than the surface information. The only comfort they had was the fact he was not a wizard.

Harry was angry. _Dumbledore was here. He was escorting someone here who had nothing to do with anything, and told him everything. Meanwhile, he keeps me, who's at the center of this whole mess, absolutely nothing?! What's Dumbledore playing at?_

Harry entered the kitchen to see Ed talking to Professor Lupin, who had gone to the kitchen already. "It's actually pretty normal feeling once the rehabilitation is over! But the connection of the nerves is hell!" Ed said. "I would think so, it must be a delicate process, connecting all the nerves"

"It is! Thankfully my family friend is one of the best mechanics I know! Even if she is a crazy wrench throwing gearhead" Ed replied, biting into a piece of bread. "Ah Harry! You're finally here! Ron and Hermione have been waiting for you" Mrs. Weasly said. Harry nodded, feeling slightly awkward.

"Go on! Ed, you can show him where right? The meeting is starting, so you two get going" she said, ushering them both out. "Don't forget to be quiet, you don't want to wake anything" she said before closing the door. "What did she mean, 'wake anything?'" Harry asked Ed. The blonde teen huffed, saying "something like the portrait of the evil old woman. Lots of things pop out of nowhere, or end up in odd places, or that's what I heard. I've only been here for 3 nights, and am a 'muggle', so I know just as much, if not less, than you do." Harry scoffed at this. "At least you know what's going on. I was kept in the dark the whole time" Ed laughed at this. "Well, things could be worse. At least you'll find out what's going on soon enough!" Harry was about to question Ed when they reached the room. Ed turned the doorknob before swiftly jumping out of the way, leaving a pair of arms to wrap around Harry.

* * *

Ed slipped into the room while the three friends had their heartfelt reunion. Deciding to fulfil his boredom by polishing his automail. It was a rather mindless task, but it did set him mind off of the madness that was this house, and these people. However, he was interrupted from this task by a furious yell.

"SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEY'S FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT- WHO SAVED THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM DEMENTORS?" hearing this, Ed froze. _He was involved with the philospher's stone? _

"WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAY HIM COME BACK? WHO ESCAPED FROM HIM? ME!" Ed listened intently now. _Dragons? Sphinxes? Don't tell me this society really has those! Maybe they're a breed of chimeras… I won't know unless I see one._

"BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHATS BEEN HAPPENING? EVEN ED KNOWS! AND HE'S A _MUGGLE_!" Ed had just about had enough. Harry's complaints had merit, however, it wasn't his friend's fault. Ed remembered how they had often complained how so wished they could tell harry everything.

With a sharp pang, Ed remembered how Al had yelled at him recently, accusing Ed of lying about his existence, due to a misunderstanding. The one he cared about so much hating him, because of a _misunderstanding_. If things had gone differently, would things have smoothed over? What if Ed had left on this mission before clearing it up? What would Al do? Ed couldn't bear the prospect of that, and Ed most certainly wouldn't let that happen to these three.

"Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did-" Hermione tried.

"CANT'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH OR YOU WOULD'VE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT _DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR_-"

"Well, he did-" Ron defended. Harry opened his mouth to begin again, but was interrupted.

"HARRY, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Ed said. they all turned to Ed, as he had been completely idle in their conversation until now.

"Harry, these are your best friends for crying out loud! Do you seriously think they _want_ to keep you in the dark?!" Ed said.

"If they didn't, they would've-"

"No, they couldn't! You said it yourself. Dumbledore _made_ them swear. They didn't have a choice in the matter. These two have wanted to tell you everything, I've heard them complaining they couldn't. If you're going to be mad at someone, be mad at the old fart who made them swear not to say anything!" Ed said. Harry opened his mouth to protest but Ed interrupted again. "I haven't known you all that long, but I know you're all really close, and that you really care about each other. Don't let something like this ruin that bond you have."

"Ed…" Hermione said, staring at Ed with a new found respect. "I'm going to the library. There are some things I want to check out" Ed said, giving the three friends the room to themselves.

Once Ed was back in comfort of privacy, a thought stuck him. _The old man said that their 'magic' doesn't work in Amestris due to a 'different type of power'. What kind of power was he talking about anyway? He also said it may have something to do with Alchemy._ Ed had informed both Al and Mustang about this, but now Ed wondered… _does this 'power' interfere with alchemy?_

Deciding to test this theory, Ed clapped his hands together, and put them on the wooden floor. The usual blue light appeared, and Ed stared surprised. He had intended to make a small bird statue, but what he made was slightly bigger than it should be with the amount of material allowed.

To be safe, Ed tried the same transmutation again with a transmutation circle, only to get the same results. _So this power amplifies alchemy? No, that's not right. It defied equivalent exchange entirely, giving me a statue with more material than I used. _Ed continued to experiment, immersing himself in it. He was so absorbed he didn't react when the door opened and someone came in.

"Ed! Dinner's ready!" said a feminine voice. **_"Not now Winry!"_** Ed replied in Amestrian, still scribbling in his notebook. "What? English Edward!" the voice said. Upon hearing 'English' Ed turned to see Hermione Granger standing in the doorway. "Sorry Hermione, habit" Ed said, scratching the back of his neck. "No problem! What language is that anyway?" Hermione asked. _Damn. _"It's… Xingese" Ed replied carefully. "Oh! Isn't that the country on the other side of the sea? I've always wanted to go there!" Hermione said cheerfully. "It was pretty nice, yeah" Ed said, going along with her enthusiasm. As she went on about places she wanted to visit, until she said something that caught him off guard.

"And I heard about this place in school, a teacher mentioned it. It's called Amestris. I did some research after that, but apparently there isn't much on it since the ministry can't reach it. But even then it seems absolutely _fascinating. _Especially with it being a land completely void of magic! I suppose they would become scientifically advanced, or rely on spiritual methods, but I would love to find out!"

Ed was about to speak when Hermione spoke again. "Oh that's right! Ed, I'm supposed to bring you up for dinner!"

"No problem" Ed said, glad he didn't have to comment on her rambling. He began to clean up his work hastily, making sure not to leave anything behind. "Thank you Edward" Hermione said. Ed looked over, "why?"

"For back there with Harry. I think he was just confused and lashing out, but thank you for stepping in" she said. Ed waved it off saying "people who are close should stay close. In times of need, they're the ones who will help each other"

"Ed… did something happen to your brother?" she asked. Ed froze. _Did she find out? I don't think I let anything slip..._ "What do you mean?" he asked. "When you were having that nightmare... You kept muttering something about your brother. You sounded really distressed, so I thought...you know..." she said. _Damn, stupid nightmare, if that happens again…_ "That was just a dream. Our mother died, and our…father…. is a bastard. We don't have a technical home, so he is the only one I have left." He said carefully. The two reached the kitchen, preventing any more discussion. Ed was glad for this, it was bad enough having to mention being an orphan, but being continually pressed the way he was sure he would've been, Ed didn't think his cover would last.

"Took you long enough!" the twins said.

"Welcome to society Edward. You've been holed up in there for almost the whole day!" said Bill.

"I was doing research. Your society is quite interesting" Ed said with a grin.

"I must say, Edward, that arm of yours is impressive! I would like to examine it-" Arthur was cut off by a stern look from Molly.

"We decided to answer some of Harry's questions, and thought, as you don't know much either, you would want to be here for it" Sirius said. "And if you don't mind, we want some questions answered about you"

Ed bit his lip, thinking on this. They answer questions on what's going on, and he has to answer questions about himself. Ed sighed. "Equivalence, right? You have a deal"

**There it is! We all know Ed can have his moments, though next chapter we will see more of the normal Ed. Harry's rant was directly from the book which I happened to have lying around while I was writing this. After a while I kind of hit a wall, so if the ending is odd I'm sorry!**

**One thing about Ed not having an accent. I know that normally he really should have at least a light accent, but I find that since Ed is a fast learner, and that he had prior knowledge, he would be able to get rid of the accent in that time if he put in enough time and effort, even if he will have some slip ups when angry. **

**In two or three chapters we will move on to the Hogwarts section! If there are any specific interactions you would like to see between Ed and some HP character, leave a review, or PM me! I'll try and add it into the story. **

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	4. Chapter 4: Q and A?

**I have returned, with another chapter! **

**Krazyfanfiction1- Interesting question. I think Ed could definitely pull it off if he knew how to do the correct calculations. I mean, I don't know if he studied aerodynamics or anything like that but I don't think so. But if he knew those, then he could do it easily, considering his specialty is quick calculations. So yes. If needed, Ed probably could. **

**Some of you guys brought up a good point. Percy was not at Grimmauld place. I'm sorry for this plot hole, I'll go fix that when I have nothing better to do. Thanks to those of you who pointed this out!**

**EDITED (9/7/14) Thank you (random guest who alerted me to inconsistencies) for pointing out the, well, inconsistencies. **

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

_"We decided to answer some of Harry's questions, and thought, as you don't know much either, you would want to be here for it" Sirius said. "And if you don't mind, we want some questions answered about you"_

_Ed bit his lip, thinking on this. They answer questions on what's going on, and he has to answer questions about himself. Ed sighed. "Equivalence, right? You have a deal"_

Chapter 4- Q and A?

"Alright then. Harry, what would you like to know?" Sirius said, turning to harry.

"Where's Voldemort? What's he doing?" harry asked, almost immediately. "I've tried to find out through muggle news, but there's nothing that looks like him"

"That's because Voldemort isn't doing anything at the moment. He's lying low to avoid drawing attention" Remus said. "Why? Why would he stop killing people?" Harry asked, confused. Ed listened, growing more disgusted as he did so. "It would be dangerous for him to be so open. His comeback didn't go the way he hoped. We have you to thank for that" Sirius said. "How?" Harry asked, seeming completely lost.

"I doubt this guy would've wanted any witnesses to his comeback to escape with their lives, let alone tell everyone important." Ed said, adding his opinion to the conversation. "Exactly. You survived, and alerted the one person Voldemort didn't want to know immediately. Dumbledore" Remus confirmed. "How does that help?" Harry asked. "Are you kidding? Dumbledore is the one person You-Know-Who is scared of!" Bill said loudly. _What, do these people think the name is cursed or something? _Ed mentally scoffed.

"What's The Order doing?" Harry asked.

"Trying our best to prevent Voldemort from growing stronger" Remus said. "What do you mean?" Harry pressed. "Dumbledore thinks he wants to build up an army again. Back in the old days, he had his death eaters, as well as a large variety of magical creatures, including giants. Now, however, he has only a few dozen death eater. Before any moves, he will need to rebuild his strength"

"But how will you stop them?" Harry asked. "We are trying to convince as many people as possible that Voldemort is back, but it's a bit tricky" Remus said. "Why?"

"Because of the ministry's attitude, you know that Cornelius Fudge hasn't accepted You-Know-Who's return, and he hasn't changed his perspective at all." Tonks said. Ed had to try very hard to not burst out laughing. _Cornelius Fudge? What kind of name is that? _Eventually calming down his mirth, Ed took a sip from a glass of water he was given. As he did so, Ed's gaze shifted to the scarred man he had seen earlier, Mad-Eye, they called him if Ed's memory served. He noticed that both eyes were trained on him, and felt a shiver crawl down his spine. Ed felt as if he was being examined, and the eye was unnerving. _I better watch out for him_.

"-accepting that Voldemort's back would mean trouble like the ministry hasn't had to cope with for 14 years, Fudge can't bring himself to face it and is more comfortable to think that Dumbledore is simply trying to take his position, and it's all fake." Sirius said bitterly.

"So basically he'd rather have the whole country in danger and innocent lives lost so he can be comfortable?!" Ed interrupted. _What kind of leader does that? Is that really what his society is like? _"Unfortunately, that is the case" Remus said.

"But if Voldemort is trying to recruit followers then it's bound to get out he's alive isn't it?" Harry asked. "Voldemort doesn't march up to a person's house and knock on their doors. He tricks, jinxes, and blackmails. In any case, he's got other plans at the moment. Plans he can put into motion very quietly." Sirius explained. "What's he after other than followers?" Harry asked.

"Something he can only get by stealth" Remus said, his voice grave. "Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time" Sirius continued.

"That's enough" Molly interrupted. "You've told them enough. They're not in the order, and there's a reason for it! They know a good amount now so leave it at that!" She wheeled around to face Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George. "Bed. Now. All of you. No complaints"

"You can't order us-"the twins started. "Watch me. Now go!" she said, clearly furious. She then turned to Ed, who flinched. The look in her eyes made him half expect her to throw a spoon at him. "We still need to ask you a few questions, so stay put" she said, before leaving to escort the others to they're rooms.

When she returned, Ed braced himself, before turning back to the other adults. Facing him were Remus, Sirius, Mad-Eye, Tonks, Bill, Molly and Arthur. Mad-Eye stepped forward saying "alright boy, we'll start simple. What's your name?" _what's the point of asking that? Is he testing me? Probably._ "Edward Elric" Ed responded, surprised how quickly the answer came. "What is your mother's name?" he asked. "Trisha Elric" Ed responded immediately. It didn't feel natural to him, more like something was forcing him to say it. _Did they do something to me? But when? _"What is your father's name?" Ed growled, but the answer was already out before he could react. "Van Hohenheim"

"Hohenheim?! As in the famous alchemist Hohenheim?" Arthur said. "Yes" Ed said.

"Where are your parents now?" mad-eye continued, not phased in the slightest. _Why does that even matter? _ "My mother is dead. The bastard left us when we were little and never came back, so I don't know where he is" Ed said. At this point it was obvious. They had done something to him. _But when? It had to be after I came in._ then he remembered. _The drink! They spiked my drink!_ "What the hell did you do to me?" Ed growled, trying to contain his anger. "It's a simple truth serum, to ensure you aren't lying to us" Remus said, sounding surprisingly cold. _What right do they have to do that? Isn't this a violation of privacy?_

Ed turned back to the still stern-faced man angrily. "Damn bastard!" He said, preparing to clap his hands.

Just then he felt his hands slam tight to his body, as well as his legs as he fell to the floor, stiff as a log, unable to move. _What the hell?_

"Edward. do not provoke him, he is not someone you want to mess with." Remus said. "Let me go dammit!" Ed growled. "Promise to behave and i will release you" Remus reasoned. Ed snorted, giving Moody a glare, before saying "fine. I wont do anything" _probably for the best. I almost blew my cover._ He felt his limbs relax, and instantly stood up, before mumbling a few curses in Amestrian and taking a seat. _I WILL get him for this. _

"How did you lose those limbs boy?" Mad-Eye asked. Ed bit his lip. _I can't answer that! Mustang will give me hell if I do! _"…in an accident when I was young" Ed finally said. It wasn't a lie. Just not the whole truth. "Wait, why limbs? He only lost his arm right?" Bill asked. "Wrong. His leg is fake too" Mad-Eye said. _How does he know that? Is it so obvious? No, he's the only one who seemed to have noticed. What if that eye does more than I think? _ Ed sighed, pulling up his left pant leg. _No point hiding it anymore_. "Blimey! He's right!" Bill said. Ed noticed Arthur looking at his mechanical limbs with a hungry look in his eyes and backed away slowly. _I don't need any more crazy gearheads messing with my limbs! Let alone a guy who didn't know what a telephone was! _

"That looks painful" Tonks noted. "You get used to it" Ed said dryly.

"Where are you from boy?" Mad-Eye pressed, obviously not wanting to get off track. Ed froze_. Dumbledore warned me, and Mustang did too. I don't see a way around it… but I'll only be more suspicious if I don't answer… _"Well boy? Where are you from?"

Ed didn't realize he was biting his lip until he tasted the blood, "Ed, we can assure you, nothing you say leaves this room" Remus said, attempting to reassure him. "Just answer the question. We just want to see if you're a threat"

"Where I used to live has nothing to do with that!" Ed protested. "It does" Mad-Eye interrupted. "How?!" Ed replied hotly.

"As you just heard boy, we are in hard times! When we hear Dumbledore has brought in a muggle who gets past the enchantments, doesn't tell us any detailed information about himself, and is supposedly a successful researcher with a good mind, doesn't that seem suspicious? We can't take chances here, which you know well boy! Now, where do you come from?" mad-eye practically growled.

"that's no reason to spike someone's drink and start interrogating them! And I thought you all trusted that old fart!" Ed replied. "As he has said himself, even Dumbledore makes mistakes Edward" Remus reasoned.

"Boy, I am only asking once more. Where are you from?" Ed tried his best to hold his tongue, but it was too late.

"Resembool, Amestris"

People immediately followed this statement with protest. "You mean that country where magic doesn't work?" Tonks said, shocked.

"That would explain the high quality limbs. I heard that they were very advanced with their machines" Arthur said, giving Ed a look that caused Ed to back away slightly. _There is NO WAY IN HELL I am going back to Resembool for an arm and a headache because a psychotic 'wizard' messed with it!_

_"_You mean to say that place exists?" Sirius said, seeming unsure. _Not surprised. Being cooped up with no information probably puts you behind the times. Especially with information so scarce on the topic. _

"So you really are a muggle then. What is your purpose in coming here?" Mad-Eye asked. Ed was mentally cursing himself. _How could I let this happen? I should have been more careful! What to do… The only way I can get out of this is to give them incomplete answers…_ Ed also noticed that the compulsion to answer the question was weaker than earlier, when the truth was practically ripped from his mouth. _It must be wearing off… just a bit longer and I might just make it out of this._ "I want to know how magic works." Ed said.

"What purpose would that serve you?"

"I'm a researcher. Knowledge of any kind is worth having, and knowing about magic would increase my work progress." Ed said. As the serum began to wear off, he found it much easier to evade slip ups. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. _It's true enough. This is my mission, finding the answer would help me complete the mission, therefore helping my work progress._ He relaxed slightly, though the anger was still present. _I can fix this, I just have to play my cards right._

"and what exactly did you research? Where did you do your research?"

"I don't see what that has to do with my trustworthiness!" Ed said, growing annoyed. _I can somewhat understand why he asked those other questions. From their point of view it makes sense, but this had nothing to do with anything! They're taking advantage of the truth serum and asking pointless questions. These damn people are too nosy for their own good. _

Mad-Eye was about to reply when Remus interrupted. "Alastor, we know everything we need to know, and the Veritaserum should be wearing off around now." Ed turned to Remus who had stood up. "I think we have given the poor boy enough to think about tonight!" Molly added, voice stern once again. Ed snorted hearing 'poor boy'. _Is she giving me pity?!_

Mad-Eye huffed and stood up, limping toward the door while the other order members did as well. He stopped right in front of Ed, saying in a whisper "I know you've got more to you than you say. No simple researcher has that many scars"

"Your eye really is impressive, _Alastor_" Ed said, voice harsh, meant to provoke. "I would watch out if I were you. You're treading on this ice here, boy" with that, he limped out of the kitchen, leaving Ed, Molly, Remus, and Sirius, while everyone else had left.

* * *

The group stood grouped around the extendable ear thread in complete silence. "Were sorry Edward, we just couldn't take any risks" Lupin said. Ed scoffed. "That doesn't give him the right to start questioning someone to satisfy their own curiosities. Did it ever occur to you people that the old man may have had a good reason for having me be vague?!"

The mutterings soon became unclear and blurry, and the twins reeled up the extendable ears. "So Ed is from Amestris, his father is a famous alchemist, and he lost 2 limbs in some accident." Harry summed up. They hadn't learned that much, but at the same time, they had learned too much. "But what about what Moody said? About him having scars?" Hermione said. "Ron, have you seen any scars?" Ginny asked, "You room with him after all don't you?" Ron shook his head. "Never seen him change."

"And what about what Ed said, about Dumbledore purposely wanting Ed to be vague?" Harry asked. "We should confront him" the twins suggested. "No! Not until we know more" Hermione said.

There were footsteps coming up the stairs, and the group took the opportunity to all go back to their respective rooms.

* * *

Ed went back to his, Ron's and Harry's room and sat back on the bed. "How did it go?" Harry asked.

"Fine" Ed said sharply. He was in a bad mood, and didn't feel like relating what happened to them. The person Ed wanted to talk to was Al.

Remembering the letter from Al he had received, Ed took rummaged in his briefcase until he found it. Seeing Al's handwriting, he almost smiled. Opening the letter he read it, completely tuning out the two in the background, discussing something Ed paid no attention to.

_Brother,_

_I hope you haven't gotten into any trouble! Remember you're supposed to make friends with these people, don't go starting fights. What are those people like anyway? _

_Ever since you told me about that power in Amestris Dumbledore mentioned, I've been looking for anything it could be referring to. I couldn't find anything, but I'll keep looking. What about you? Have you made any progress in your research? _

_What's been happening? I know these people seem to ignore equivalent exchange, and I'm worried how much they're capable of. If they could make pictures actually move or come to life, who knows what else they can do? I hope they have a lead on getting our bodies back. _

_Oh yeah! While you were gone I found a cat! He was just sitting out in the rain all alone, I couldn't leave him there! He's tan and really small, and is sensitive about it just like you brother! I named him after you, please let me keep him! If you don't you have no heart. _

_Please be safe, _

_Al_

_P.S Winry said, "You better be taking good care of my Automail you Alchemy Freak!"_

Ed chuckled to himself before he thought of Arthur. He got out a roll of parchment and a pen, and began to write.

_Hey Al_

_No, I haven't gotten into any trouble yet, have more faith in your brother!_

Ed paused, before deciding against telling Al about the Order's plans. He would only worry more. However he did think it necessary to explain the interrogation.

_Actually, they decided to interrogate me today. They spiked my drink with some kind of truth serum, and then started firing questions! They know about me being from Amestris, and that I lost two limbs, and about the Bastard, but I found a way to avoid telling them the rest. Most of them are satisfied, but one man named Alastor Moody(people call him Mad-Eye) still suspects me. He has a glass eye which I swear does anything it wants to despite the normal one. It seems to see through things, cause he knows about my scars, and he knew about my automail after one glance. He was the one asking the questions, and kept saying that they were to prove I wasn't a threat, but he was asking questions about things that don't make a difference! Like our parent's names, or where they are, or what type of research i did before coming to England. These people are way too nosy for their own good. Even the kids have created a device specially for eavesdropping! _

_I've been looking to the power as well. The old man mentioned magic power which was converted to magic, so I looked into it. I wondered if this power affected alchemy so I tried to make one of those statues from when we were younger, something simple. The problem is it messed up. The statue as a lot bigger than it should have been with the amount of material that went into the transmutation, it defied equivalent exchange! I started experimenting and found that happened every time. I think this power might be a huge part of why all of this is happening, though it's a pain to have to adjust alchemy to accommodate for it. _

_As for the power In Amestris, he said it had something to do with Alchemy, but I can't think of what it could be. All we know is that it isn't the power over here, and nowhere else in the world has it. _

_How is it over there anyway? Nothing weird happened right? _

_You know you can't be picking up random cats Al, and I'M NOT SMALL! You need to put it back. _

_I really miss you Al, there aren't many people I can talk to normally in this place, hell, there's a demon woman's portrait that yells her racist points whenever possible if you're too loud! I don't see the point in it. _

_Ed,_

_P.S tell that crazy gearhead that I am taking care of it, but as there is psychotic wizard obsessed with machinery who wants to take it apart, no promises. Seriously, he had no clue how to work a telephone. _

Placing his pen down and looking over his letter. Satisfied with his work, Ed folded it and put it into an envelope. He mentally groaned remembering he had to write a report to the colonel. _Maybe I can ask the twins for one of those dungbombs. Make it explode in his face. _With that satisfying image in his mind, Ed set to writing the tiresome report. When he finished, he folded it up and stuffed it into his briefcase.

Harry and Ron were still talking about what they had heard. Ed was impressed they had so much to say.

"-but what weapon could Voldemort want that's worse than _Avada kedavra_?" harry said.

"dunno, maybe instead of instant death, a very painful way of killing?" Ron suggested.

"He has the _Cruciatus_ curse for that"

Ed shivered. _These people are capable of so many things, and here I am getting caught up in their problems. _

On that grim note, he laid on his bed, almost instantly falling asleep.

**There it is! **

**Wow, lots of information in this chapter… next one will be a lot more fun. It has to be, the twins are in it after all! **

**I hope this was ok, I didn't want ****_everything_**** revealed, because then where's the fun? I tried to keep everyone in character but I have a feeling some people did drift away after a bit. I'M SORRY PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!**

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	5. Chapter 5: Bad Combinations

**It took a bit longer then I anticipated and I'm sorry! As my school is staring up soon, I'm getting busy. Updates will be a bit slower, but there will be updates, I can promise this. **

**Thank you so much for the reviews. I love getting feedback on how I could improve the story. **

**Sailormoonrocks826- Thanks for letting me know. I promise that wasn't intentional, as I don't support unoriginal ideas being published.**

**I also want to say that I am planning to edit chapters 3 and 4. I'm not entirely satisfied with how the characters are portrayed, and certain details are nagging at me which are rather irritating. **

**Alright then, Moving on to why you're actually here!**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

_Ed shivered. 'These people are capable of so many things, and here I am getting caught up in their problems.'_

_On that grim note, he laid on his bed, almost instantly falling asleep._

Chapter 5- Bad Combinations

_ He was running down what seemed to be an endless hallway. Footsteps could be heard in hot pursuit but from what he couldn't tell. He didn't dare turn, for fear of what would happen if he did. __**"Why are you running, Edward?"**__ his breath caught in his throat. __**"Mom?**__" he asked. __**"You don't need to be scared. Just turn around" **__he felt his body betraying him. His feet were growing heavy. 'I should just stop' he thought. __**"Yes Edward, just turn around and come here" **__his adrenaline was at its peak, and his panic only increased when he saw the end of the hallway. He clapped his hands together, pressing them to the wall. A door appeared, but it wasn't right. It was far too large, and the framing was wrong. Ed hastily destroyed the door and ran through the hole, it was all on instinct. As long as he could get away. As a crash sounded behind him he turned, to find that there was no longer anyone following. He cautiously took a step towards the hole, before it appeared. A mass of meat, skin, bones, and organs sat in the middle of what seemed to be a transmutation circle. __**"No!"**__ Ed said, turning around and running again. 'it isn't real, that happened years ago!' _

_ Just then, he felt a tap on his shoulder. __**"Look at it Ed. look at what resulted from your mistake." **__Where did he know that voice? He looked up and stared at the person in front of him, and immediately charged. __**"You!"**__ Suddenly, he stopped. It was as if some force had stopped his movement. __**"Turn around. Face the truth of your sins" **__Ed couldn't bring himself to do it. He only turned around when he heard that horrible sound __**Brother! Please!" **_

_"__**Al?" **__Ed said shakily. __**"This could have been avoided" **__He turned back to Hohenheim who had spoken. __**"Look what has become of Alphonse" **__said Hohenheim, with a disapproving glare. __**"What do you mean? Where's Al? What's happening to him?" **__Ed asked, desperate for answers. __**"Look behind you Edward"**__ he said and Ed turned, before giving a harsh scream. Where the thing had been, sat a suit of armor, limp and unmoving. On the ground were pieces of metal, with red markings that looked like blood. __**"Why?! How, when did this happen?" **__Ed said, falling to his knees. __**"Had you been there this may have been avoided. But you were gone. You were off in England" **__tears fell in a rapid stream as Ed stared. He turned back to Hohenheim in fury __**"he wouldn't have been so fragile if you hadn't left us! We would all be living a normal life with mom if you hadn't gone and left her to die!" **__Hohenheim's face was stern, his eyes were cold. __**"I'm not at fault for your decisions. Because of your selfish reasons, Alphonse has to suffer, and left this world alone" **__Ed refused to believe it. He wouldn't have done anything that he had done, had he not been left alone. All the same, Al's words resounded in his mind. _

_**"It's not like I asked to be this way!" **_

**_"No… Al…. it's my fault… it's all my fault… you're all I had… I promised to get your body back! Now…"_**

**_"How can I trust anything you say in this body?" _**_Al yelled. _

_Hohenheim had disappeared, but Ed didn't care. All he cared about was the problem in front of him. Nothing else mattered. __**"I couldn't bring back mom, I couldn't save Nina, I couldn't even keep my promise to my brother… Alphonse.. How can I ever repay you?" **__someone was speaking, Ed could hear it clearly. What were they saying? His name? "Ed! Get up!" someone called. __**"What?" **__Ed said. He turned to the voice. __**"Harry.." **_

_"Get up! It's a dream! It's not real!" said Harry. Just then there was a hiss from the darkness behind him. "Avada Kedavra!" Harry's eyes widened and green light blinded Ed. When it cleared, Harry was limp, on the ground, and Ron and Hermione were next to him. "Harry…" Hermione sobbed. "__**no.." **__Ed said, his voice barely a whisper. Ron turned to Ed. "why didn't you do anything? Why did you let this happen? You monster!" Eyes appeared from the darkness behind them. "__**I'll show you the Truth" **__More shrieks filled the air. "FILTHY HALF BREEDS! MUDBLOOD FILTH!" _

**"****_NO_****!**" Ed said, shooting up from his original sleeping position. "Blimey, mate, you're nightmares might be worse than Harry's and that's saying something" Ron said. Ed chuckled lightly, "I guess so. Wh-" He was interrupted by more shrieking. "MUGGLES! BLOOD TRAITORS! BEFOULING THE NOBLE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!" Ed groaned saying "What a way to wake up in the morning! I swear one of these days I WILL destroy that portrait!" He got up and stomped out the door, leaving the other two smiling.

* * *

"How are you feeling Ed?" Hermione asked, to Ed she sounded like he was on a death bed, which he wasn't happy about. "Fine, why wouldn't I be?" he said, biting into a piece of toast. "Well from what we heard" Fred said, smirk in place. "you were having quite the dream, weren't you Lil' Eddie!" George finished.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL YOU CAN'T SEE HIM WITHOUT A MICROSCOPE?!" Ed said loudly, resulting in laughs from the other kids and a "now now, Edward..." from Remus. "What are you guys laughing at?!" Ed said, only causing them to laugh more. He folded his arm with a huff, and said "you get used to nightmare after a while. It's nothing to be fussed about" his words were mostly directed toward Harry, who he knew was also dealing with them. Ed had finally gulped down the last of the food before standing up. "Edward, dear, you didn't even touch your milk!" Molly said, pointing to the glass of cow excretion. "I hate milk" he said plainly. "Come now, a growing boy like you needs to have proper sustenance!" she protested. "You would grow taller!" the twins said, an evil glint present on both pairs of eyes. "SHUT UP!"

After finishing his breakfast, Ed thanked Molly before rushing to the library. He fully intended to continue his experiments until he found out everything he could. He had already read all of the books in a few of the smaller shelves, and was a good portion through a large one. He found that most didn't even mention the magical 'power' that Dumbledore had mentioned. The only progress Ed made was that he could now predict how off his transmutations would be. After a few tries, he was able to transmute things with the correct adjustments. It was a relatively simple ratio, the more complex the transmutation, the more interference. However, after another hour of practice, Ed had once again come back to his flawless transmutation. Once he reassured himself his transmutations were normal, Ed resumed his reading and note writing.

_If this magic power is in the air, then why are only select people able to use 'magic?' there's something missing. Something that I'm missing. What if… _Realization dawned on him, and once again he was scribbling away. Time flied past and Ed soon found himself surrounded by books. He went back and forth, between writing and experimenting, immersing himself in the work.

* * *

Harry and Sirius were headed to the kitchen for lunch, both were just now recognizing their hunger. They had decided that, knowing Ed, he was still in the library studying, and that he needed to eat as well. They were walking down the hallway when they saw something come from the library doors. It suspiciously looked to harry like blue light. He exchanged a glance with Sirius before walking toward the doors. Harry cautiously opened the door and his eyes widened at what he saw. A large mound of books sat in the corner of the room, and in the middle of it was Ed, sitting on the ground next to a table full of papers spread all over the surface. "Ed?" Harry called uncertainly. The blonde turned at the sound of his voice and said "Hey Harry, Sirius."

"Did you see a really bright light just now? It looked like it came from here" Harry asked, concerned. Ed paused, before shaking his head. "Nope. Nothing abnormal" He said, getting up and stretching. Harry stared at the boy oddly. _I could have sworn I saw a light come from here. Was he doing magic?_ "You should come for lunch, before all the food is gone" Harry said awkwardly. Ed nodded, saying "Yeah, I'll be there. Just give me a bit of time." Harry nodded, leaving his friend to his privacy. "Sirius, do you know what that was?" Harry asked. "Not a clue. It most certainly wasn't nothing, I can tell you that much" _I wonder if that has something to do with what we heard last night? _Harry thought as he walked back with Sirius.

Later that day, Harry's nerves and anxiety had reached a new level. The grim prospect of the hearing was enough to keep his thoughts completely out of focus. _If that hearing goes wrong, I'll be expelled. _He hated the idea that his whole life in the future rode on this hearing. _It would be nice if I could at least stay here if that happens. At least I'll have Sirius, and still be involved. _Harry was interrupted from his musings by a tap on the shoulder. He turned, to see none other than Edward Elric. Harry was immediately reminded of the blue light from earlier. _Should I ask? _"Oh, hello Ed" Harry said, still not entirely focused. "Have any clue where the twins are?" Ed asked. Harry immediately felt anxious. Not only was the look on Ed's face setting off several mental alarms, the glint in his eye was one identical to the twins when they were up to something. _He's thinking something evil, I know it_. All the same, Harry was in the mood to witness this, and see how the twins were doing. "They're in their room. I'll take you" Ed grinned, once again making Harry wonder if he did the right thing. "Sure, thanks"

As the two walked up the old, creaking stairs, Harry once again saw Kreacher walking around muttering to himself. He saw Ed looking at him in a mixture of confusing, disgust, and interest. It was an interesting expression, one Kreacher seemed to notice. He looked at Ed before turning away. "The filthy muggle is looking at Kreacher. Kreacher will pretend he cannot see him"

This seemed to tick Ed off. "Why you little-" Ed was about to start ranting when Harry said "SHH! The last thing we need is Sirius's mother to start yelling" Ed snorted, muttering something about "finding a way to destroy it" causing Harry laugh lightly. Harry noticed that Ed and Sirius seemed to have quite a bit in common, in terms of attitude. It was something Harry always appreciated, when they could get him out of a mood with a few choice words. They finally reached the twins room where Harry knocked on the door. "It's open!" came two matching voices. Ed took this cue to open the door. The room was an absolute mess, though not in the way most would think. Many different odd looking items scattered the room, as well as several odd candies. "Ah! If it isn't Mr. Potter and Lil' Eddie!" said the twins. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Ed yelled.

The twins were unfazed by the outburst and continued, "What is it we can do for you on this fine evening?" Ed grinned, an odd glint in his eyes. "I was wondering what kind of pranks you had that explode"

Harry felt the chills pass down his body. _Ed, explosives, twins, bad_ was all his jumbled mind could put together. "We have quite a few! Though it depends how much big the explosion may be, what might happen as a result, and of course what it is for…" his tone was suggestive, as if asking for something.

"Let's say there was a certain pyromaniac who has a smug attitude and a god complex. Do you have something that would explode in his face and make a nice mess?" Ed asked, his tone innocent enough, but his expression one of supreme mischief. The twins looked pleased, and intrigued.

"This person…" one said.

"How soon will you contact him?" the other finished.

"Next week." Ed said, smiling as he caught on. The twins broke into identical grins. "Perfect. You came to the right place, Eddie"

"QUIT IT WITH THAT NAME!" Harry knew this was destined for disaster, and that it would be his fault when it happened. He sighed, wondering just how bad it would be.

* * *

Ed was quite satisfied when he left the twins' room that night. After lots of strategy and explanation, the twins had decided to get to work. _Watch out, colonel bastard_.

At dinner, the air was tense at the prospect of Harry's hearing. Ed didn't know the details well himself, only that Harry had been attacked and that because he was underage and used magic to protect himself, he was being tried. Ed found the idea ridiculous, without, Harry could have been in deep trouble. _They can apparently suck out a person's soul. That's sick. _

Ed was growing to hate this society's government more and more. _And if these people are dangerous ill have to make friends with them? That sounds impossible! _Ed groaned at the prospect of having to stay in this place for a year. _A detour from hell_.

"Ed? You alright?" Ginny asked. Ed looked up hearing his name. "Uh, Yeah I'm fine." _Why does everyone think something's wrong with me?_

"Well, you just look really tired" Hermione said. "It's from all that heavy research he's doing! Honestly, why you do this kind of thing when you're so young..." Molly said. Ed scoffed. "Please. I've gone a full 10 days of researching and been fine"

"10?!" Ron said in disbelief. "Yeah. and as for my age, I've been doing this since I was really young. It's just something I got used to" Ed added. They all gawked at him. "And we thought Hermione was bad.." Ron said to Harry, loud enough for everyone to hear.

That night, everyone went to bed early, which Ed found quite odd. _I expected them to be poking around a bit more. _Ed decided to go back to the library. He had formed a theory as to how the magic worked, but it had many flaws and holes. He was surprised that he had already found that much in the first week. _Then again, I am a genius. _

As Ed continued to read and research, his mind spun. _There has to be more to it. Something that complicates everything. Any other alchemist could have found this if they looked hard enough. Hell, if they had just transmuted here they would find out. _

Ed was once again completely consumed by the task at hand. The book he was reading, _Magic Across the Globe, _proved far less useful than he hoped. It basically told history of different schools rather than about the technique itself. He continue to read until he came upon a chapter that caught his interest.

…_One of the most curious of the many mysteries of magic, is the fabled Amestris. Said to be surrounded by many magical countries, yet completely void of magic itself. The odd country is said to be completely muggle-inhabited, and renders wizards and witches to be completely unable to use magic. The ministry to this day knows very little about the country except- _

Ed was interrupted from his reading by a voice yelling in his ear. "OI!" Ed's head shot up, smashing into someone else's.

Rubbing his head in pain, Ed surveyed his surroundings. He saw Sirius right in front of him, saying "quite the hard head you got there"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed grumbled. His eyes moved to the door landing on a tall man, with an impressively long silver beard, and a knowing smile that made Ed want to hit him. It made Ed feel like this man knew everything about him, which only made him think of the colonel. "Nice to see you Edward" he said. "What are _you _doing here?" Ed asked.

"There is a matter of utmost importance I need to speak to you about, if you don't mind." He said, and Ed couldn't help but notice his resemblance to the bastard. "Sorry, old man, but I'm busy at the moment" He replied. "It's quite important to your research. I would think you would like to hear it." Dumbledore continued. This got Ed's attention, _if he knows anything that can help me, I have no choice. I need to get this done ASAP, so that I can get back to searching for a way to help Al. _Ed sighed. "Fine old man, but this better be good" The older man smiled and Sirius excused himself. He locked the door and waved his stick at it, before turning.

"So, Edward, how has your research been doing?"

"Fine" Ed said. "How much have you found out?" Dumbledore asked.

"I have a theory, but it has holes, it's not too solid." Ed said, once again being very vague. "I see, I am impressed you managed that in so little time" Dumbledore said.

"Can we just get to the point?" Ed asked.

"Alright then Edward. You see, you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" Dumbledore said. Ed's eyes widened.

"…What?"

**Done! This was more of a fun chapter (besides the beginning… I couldn't help it.) Next chapter, LOTS of explanations. **

**Ed and milk, Ed and twins, Ed and wise old men, Ed and explosives, Ed and tall people, Ed and evil portraits, Ed and Kreacher. **

**All combinations destined for disaster.**

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	6. Chapter 6: A Problem

**I'm back! Granted, I probably should've been back a while ago, but I'm still back! Long story short, I had lots of interruptions and computer bugs. **

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES! **

_"So, Edward, how has your research been doing?"_

_"Fine" Ed said. "How much have you found out?" Dumbledore asked._

_"I have a theory, but it has holes, it's not too solid." Ed said, once again being very vague. "I see, I am impressed you managed that in so little time" Dumbledore said._

_"Can we just get to the point?" Ed asked._

_"Alright then Edward. You see, you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" Dumbledore said. Ed's eyes widened._

_"…What?"_

Chapter 6- A Problem

"You have been accepted into a magic school, Edward." Dumbledore repeated his voice grave.

"But that doesn't make sense! I'm not like you people!" Ed protested. Dumbledore nodded. "That's exactly the problem. You are not a wizard. You are a muggle, who is incapable of using magic."

"So why the hell am I being taken for one?!"Ed said, shooting up from his chair. Dumbledore simply stared at him for a while, before saying "Tell me, Edward. How much do you know about the magical power of the world?" Ed blinked, taken aback by the question. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Please, just tell me" Dumbledore said. Ed was about to object, before his mind began to digest what Dumbledore was saying. _Does the usage of this power have to do with it? _"I know that it works a bit like material for alchemy. It can somehow be converted into many different materials, and can be used in alchemy as well as…magic" Ed did his best to hide the disgust at the word 'magic'. It was such a vague, unscientific word. However, he knew that his tone had betrayed him.

"I know that it exists, spread in the air throughout the world. The rest is all just guesswork" Ed concluded. He waited for the elderly man in front of him to say something, but all he did was give him an encouraging look. _Go on_ his eyes said. Ed sighed, before continuing.

"I think that this energy also resides inside the bodies of people who you call 'wizards'. When they do 'magic', the energy from inside and out circulates, and gather into a single point, which are the sticks you all carry. Then there's a whole bunch of factors that need to be taken into account, and then…" Ed had gone into a series of mutterings, completely forgetting that he was talking to someone. He was brought back to reality when Dumbledore let out a light chuckle. Ed's head shot up and he stared at Dumbledore, as if daring him to make an insult.

"You seem to have made quite an interesting theory in quite a small amount of time. I can see now why your superior spoke so highly of you" Ed scoffed. "That bastard colonel spoke highly about me? My ass" Dumbledore chuckled saying "Yes, I also recall you two not getting along well. He had quite a hard time telling me about you. I believe that charming lieutenant of his helped…motivate him to speak" Ed shuddered _probably held a gun to his head. Though I would've liked to see that conversation._

"You should be proud Edward. A large portion of your knowledge is correct. Magic power resides both in the air around us, and inside the wizard. Using these two areas of power, they gather it into their central point, the wand. This is where the conversion, or as you may say, a transmutation takes place."

"But that shouldn't work! There's no circles, there's no way every single one of you has seen truth!" Ed interrupted. "Be patient Edward." Dumbledore chided. Ed was about to speak again when he stopped, noticing the look in the man's eyes. The look that clearly showed that to ignore his directions would not be smart in the slightest.

"As I was saying, wands are made of very special parts. Certain factors put together make the wand unique. Do you know Edward?"

"The wood, length, core, and flexibility right?" Ed filled in.

"Correct. Each wand has a different set of those attributes. The cores provide different ranges of magical power, depending on the witch or wizard's capabilities. The wand's material, length and flexibility all determine the conversions made. You can say it serves to control and balance the power, otherwise it could backfire at random moments." Dumbledore explained. Meanwhile, Ed had his own mind process. _This old man is saying that those sticks are performing the transmutations? Without a circle, nor going through the process? That can't be right. These people may be able to do some _odd_ things, that's why I was sent here, but that's just ridiculous! There has to be a different reason! This whole business is fishy, being able to do these things with a few words or a flick of a stick. _

"Edward?" said Dumbledore, shaking Ed from his trance. He looked up to see Dumbledore looking at him oddly. "Did you hear what I said?" Ed shook his head and Dumbledore gave a sympathetic smile.

"I said, that if you really want more information, you should look into wand-lore. I myself am not too familiar with the field, but I'm sure you could consult someone, or research it."

_For being such an accomplished man, he isn't all that helpful is he?_ Ed thought skeptically.

"There aren't many books on that stuff old man. This library has quite a lot of limits" Ed recalled his searches through the bookshelves of the dusty and broken down library. He remembered he had attempted to learn more about the sticks they used, but he could never find anything related to it.

"I'm sure that the Hogwarts library could give you the information you wanted" Dumbledore said, an odd glint in his eyes which Ed couldn't quite place. _What's he planning?_

"Like we said before, I'm not the same as you people." Ed said quickly. He didn't appreciate being lumped in with these mysterious people with a weak governing force.

"That is true, but you seem to have been mistaken for one by the ministry" Ed snorted at this, saying "Is your ministry really so bad at their job that they can make mistakes like that?"

"I believe it has to do with your use of alchemy" Dumbledore said, voice still grave. "Can you think of how this might be so?" Ed thought on this. _Something to do with Alchemy? Clearly it has to do with magical power as well, or the old man wouldn't have mentioned it. When I perform alchemy that power is also used, similar to what these people refer to as magic. So that means…_

"Does your Ministry have a way to monitor the usage of this Magical Energy?" Ed asked uncertainly. Dumbledore gave him a knowing smile, sending Ed into anger. _He was just testing me! He probably knows everything I need to finish this damn mission but won't tell me! _"Have you heard of The Trace charm, Edward?" Dumbledore asked.

Ed shook his head, though he thought he already knew what to expect. "It is a charm put in place by the ministry on all witches and wizards under the age of 17. It monitors the usage of underage magic, which is forbidden once they enter schooling." Dumbledore explained. Ed nodded, understanding. _Maybe the government has more control than I thought, being able to monitor so many people, but what if they _are_ missing someone? No, I doubt this technique is absolute, after all, if someone used energy while in the presence of an underage person, they wouldn't know the difference right? That would explain why they don't monitor schools, it would be pointless. _

"So when I used Alchemy and the power interfered, they took it for the use of magic?" Ed said, fitting the pieces together.

Dumbledore nodded, "that is exactly the problem. According to the Ministry, you are a Wizard. They will know every time you use magical energy, and you will be persecuted for it outside of school" _So from the moment I first used Alchemy, I have been being monitored, if I use any more I may be going against the laws, unless I attend a school where it would be allowed. What a situation to land in! The Colonel won't be happy… I suppose I could go to the school, but I'm not like them! It's all a mistake! My cover would be blown immediately!_ Ed thought, steadily growing more panicked with every other thought.

"I see you now realize what situation this puts you in" Dumbledore said, staring right into Ed's eyes, silently asking the question on both of their minds. _What now?_

"Is there any way to hide the energy usage?" Ed asked, "after all, I need alchemy to finish my research" Dumbledore seemed to think about this for a bit, before saying "I'm afraid there isn't. Though, if you were to attend Hogwarts, then that problem could be avoided"

Ed immediately shook his head. He had heard quite a bit about Hogwarts, a school for people to refine their techniques. He heard that the place was full of odd things, and the work there always kept students busy. How was Ed supposed to research, as well as find a lead on their bodies, with all that? Not to mention, with so many people, all capable of an unknown things, Ed's cover would be as good as gone. Especially if they were all as nosy as Mad-Eye.

Then again, Hogwarts most likely has far more research material then Grimmauld Place, as well as all the samples Ed could ever need. It would most certainly be beneficial for him to go, but at what cost? "As a student, how much access do I have to research material?" Ed asked.

"normally, there are certain age restrictions for books, however, I am willing to make an exception and grant you full access, as well as access to all parts of the school grounds" Dumbledore said, with that smile that Ed was never sure what to think about. Should he be uncertain or reassured?

"What do you want?" Ed said sharply. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at him saying "What do I want?"

"That's a lot of generous offers old man, so what do you want from me in exchange?"

He seemed to ponder this for a moment, as if he was not entirely sure himself of his motive. Ed stood, arms crossed, waiting for an answer. Dumbledore finally gave a smile, saying "Take it as repaying a debt to an old friend" Ed scoffed at this. "I don't want anything to do with that bastard. Repay him in person"

"Everyone makes mistakes Edward, I'm sure you know this better than anyone else. Sometimes they just need people to find it in their hearts to recognize them, and forgive them. Forget the past and move forward" Dumbledore said seriously, eyes twinkling. "You don't know me, old man. I'm nothing like that bastard." Ed said, refusing the wizard's words. _So he really is a teacher then. _Ed thought sourly.

"That's quite a shame. Perhaps one day you will find it in your heart to forgive him" Dumbledore said, and Ed snorted in distaste at the idea.

"So will you be attending Hogwarts Edward?" Dumbledore asked, directing the conversation back to the original topic. "Like I said, I'm not like you. People will be bound to notice that nothing happens when I wave around a stick and say some words. I can't let my cover be blown" Ed reasoned, silently acknowledging that they did have priorities in their discussion. At this however, Dumbledore chuckled lightly, which only made Ed more irritated. "An alchemist as skilled as you are, I was sure you already knew the answer to that."

"You want me to mimic what you people do with alchemy?"

"I think that is the only way for this to work. After all, it may help you in your research. Being surrounded by magic in a magical school, what better place is there to study magic?" As he said this, Dumbledore pulled out a stick from his pocket, though he immediately noticed it was snapped in half. "This wand was made especially for people like you. It is made to amplify alchemy and help the user control magical power" Ed raised an eyebrow, staring at the thing suspiciously. "What's it made of?"

"It was crafted from a normal wand, imbued with an incomplete philosopher's stone. The wand's magical power and the stone's alchemic power combine to allow the user to create an imitation of magic. However, this has only been possible for the most accomplished alchemists, who like you, do not need a circle. Why this may be is something you have to find out for yourself. The man who owned this wand was careless, and overused its power. Eventually, a rebound occurred and he was killed, and the wand broken." Dumbledore said, as Ed examined the wand. _So by combining alchemy with this energy, I can imitate what they call magic? That can't be it, there has to be more to it. And what about the fact only people who've seen truth can do it? And alchemy can't do some of these things no matter what! Like control someone's mind? What will I do if I have to imitate something Alchemy can't copy? This whole plan is risky, and this old man is hiding something. I just know it. Where is he even getting these fake stones? How are they combined into these sticks? I need answers, and he doesn't look like he's going to give them to me. Intentionally or not, I can't be sure. It seems to me most of his information came from the bastard…_

"Where would I get these anyway? Surely philosophers stones aren't common around here right?" Ed asked. Dumbledore shook his head. "The art of making these wands is known only to two wand-makers in history, Gregorovitch, who is not reachable, and Garrick Ollivander, who is the one who created this wand. If you should decide to come to Hogwarts, he will make one for you." _It's a huge risk, but it's a risk I have to take. For the mission's sake, and Al's. _

Ed let out a long breath, before saying "Fine. I'll go to your school"

Dumbledore smiled, as if reassuring Ed that it wasn't as bad as he thought. _Or is that my imagination?_ "I'm glad, you will get you book list at the same time as the other students. I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts" He stood up to leave the room, before saying "there's also this. It will open a vault at Gringotts, the wizarding bank, for you. It used to belong to your father. I would recommend using it if you want to have your books for school. You can also show it to Ollivander. He will know exactly what to do." He handed Ed a golden key with odd engravings on it, before taking his leave.

Ed stared at the key in his hand, before throwing the key against a wall. "Dammit!"

* * *

The next morning, Ed was the last to wake up. After the previous night, he had gone to sleep with too much on his mind, and as a result had not fallen into sleep until late. Harry and Arthur had already left and everyone was either worrying, or convinced that he would be fine. Everyone was somber, except for the twins, who were attempting to lighten the mood when Ed arrived in the kitchen.

"c'mon! Harry has Dumbledore on his side! He'll be fine, as long as he doesn't lose his cool" Fred said.

"Yeah! He's gonna be fine!" George continued.

"Oi! Ed! You think Harry's going to be okay right?" Fred said, noticing the new arrival. "He has the old man on his side, and he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Harry will be fine." Ed said plainly. Hermione and Ron looked at Ed questioningly, and Ed shrugged.

"How is your research progress coming along?" Remus asked, redirecting conversation. "Fine. Good mount of progress" Ed said, before saying "hey Sirius, do you have any books on… er… Wand-lore?" He winced at the word 'Wand-lore', hating it.

Sirius looked taken aback, but soon said "Dunno. There should be one or two, though my mother was never fond of it. I doubt you'll find much" Ed nodded. _I guess I really don't have a choice. My resources are limited here to what the old hag has. _

"Why are you interested? Is it part of research?" Tonks asked. Ed shook his head. "Nah, it's just something the old man said"

"You mean you've talked to professor Dumbledore? When?" Hermione asked. "He came last night, while you guys were asleep" Ed said, before sitting in a chair and taking a piece of toast. "Edward, dear, did you get enough rest last night? You look peachy" Molly said, looking Ed up and down.

"I'm fine! Really Molly, I'm fine" Ed said, dismissing her worries quickly.

After breakfast, Ed went to the library, where he wrote a letter to Al, explaining everything. As he was about to fold it into an envelope he hesitated.

_PS: I don't know how this will turn out, but there's one thing I'm sure of. I can't trust many of these people; I just have to hope they don't dig too deep. I'm sure they'll have a clue to what we're looking for. I won't give up, I promise. _

**This was hard to write, mostly because of interruptions, and all of the things I needed to consider, including the fact Edward refuses to acknowledge what he sees as magic, and refers to it in a more scientific way whenever possible. I decided that Ed's relationship with Dumbledore is a bit of an on/off type. Even though Dumbledore sometimes irritates him, Ed still feels the reassurance that many people do while in his presence. I'm sorry if the character's personalities are a bit skewed, the future chapters will be better. **

**_Alchemic Imitations:_**

**_Wizardry through Alchemy is a complex feat. It can only be accomplished by those with certain knowledge that is truth. However, not all magic can be imitated, as Alchemy is not all powerful. This will be shown later._**

**_The Philosophers stone is an alchemic amplifier, that when combined with magical energy will allow an alchemist to perform transmutations that normally shouldn't be possible. This is because magical energy works as a form of material for alchemy, that can be converted to almost anything. But there are plenty of 'spells' that still cannot be performed. _**

**The next coming chapters will be better, probably. **

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	7. Chapter 7: Confrontations

**Chapter 7 is up!**

**For those of you wondering "when the heck are they going to confront Ed?" here you go! I will tell you that they will find out about alchemy BEFORE reaching Hogwarts, probably next chapter if I don't decide to plug in a bunch of fillers (which I probably won't) but in an indirect way. **

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

_After breakfast, Ed went to the library, where he wrote a letter to Al, explaining everything. As he was about to fold it into an envelope he hesitated. _

_PS: I don't know how this will turn out, but there's one thing I'm sure of. I can't trust many of these people; I just have to hope they don't dig too deep. I'm sure they'll have a clue to what we're looking for. I won't give up, I promise._

Chapter 7- Confrontations

Later that day, Ed's musings were interrupted by the sound of cheering. "He got off, he got off.." there was a loud crack! And Ed shot to his feet.

"Eddie! Harry's back, cleared of all charges!" said the twins in that eerie unison of theirs.

**_"_**That's great!" Ed said with a grin._ Now these people can lighten up a bit. Breakfast this morning was like a funeral! _"Come to the kitchen to celebrate!" Fred said, dragging the boy back to the kitchen. As they got closer to the kitchen, many voices of congratulations could be heard. "Ed!" Harry said as they entered. "Congrats" Ed said plainly. "Though I have to ask. Cleared of all charges, how many times have you broken this government's laws?"

"When I was 13 I blew up my aunt" Harry said seriously. Ed blinked. "Have I mentioned how messed up your society is?" he said. The all nodded, deciding to not press the subject.

* * *

"Sirius, I need to ask you a serious question" Ed asked, staring at the odd creature with disgust. "Who made it, and is this another thing your mother decided to 'collect'?" Sirius looked at Ed as if he had sprouted horns and a tail.

"He wasn't made, per say, but born like that. He's a hippogriff" Sirius explained, speaking slowly as if he were talking to a child. "Stop talking like that! And I would know a chimera if I saw one, and that is a chimera" Ed persisted, not taking his eyes off the chimera who was staring at him intently, as if waiting for something. Out of the corner of his eye, Ed could see Sirius looking slightly frustrated. "I don't know if you muggles have different terms or something, but for the last time, Buckbeak is a hippogriff, not a chim-whatever"

"Chimera isn't that difficult to say!"

"By the way, if you don't want him to rip you apart, I recommend bowing" Sirius added. Ed ripped his gaze off of the chimera saying "why the hell would I do that? Give it more of an opening why don't i?"

"In that case, don't go near it. It wouldn't do for you to go dying before you clean up the mess in the library" Sirius huffed, leaving the room. Ed scoffed, "rude, old man" he muttered, before looking back at the chimera, who was still staring at him. It made him sick, as he thought of Nina and Alexander.

"You've been like that for a long time huh? You were able to get by… were you in pain?" Ed asked the chimera, silently wondering what was wrong with him. _The only chimeras to ever understand human speech were created by that Tucker bastard. _The chimera moved its head, almost looking like a nod, saying _yes._ Ed sighed, before saying "I wonder if Nina could've gotten by like you did? Why did that have to happen at all…" his fist tightened, until he felt something nudge him. He looked down, to see a cat, with a squashed looking face, and ginger fur looking at him. "Al… I miss you" he muttered, kneeling down to pet the cat.

* * *

"Sir, you need to finish your paperwork"

The colonel groaned as he stared at the large pile of work on his desk. The prospect of going through all of it was one that the colonel loathed to imagine. "I'll do it soon" he said, a yawn escaping him. After Hughes' death, he had immediately started investigating, but nothing was turning up, and these other matters were all irrelevant to his goal.

He shot out of his seat at the expected gunshot, only to turn and see his lieutenant staring at the window. He followed her gaze and saw an owl pecking at the window, the noises so loud and clear that the colonel had assumed it to be his lieutenant. He scoffed, opening the window.

"Honestly, this wizarding communications system is so flawed I don't know where to begin! What the hell is so wrong with a damn telephone? Owls aren't even supposed to come out during the day!" He said as the owl hopped into his office and he closed the window again.

Despite his annoyance, the colonel always felt a spark of relief when one of the birds came to his window. It provided him with something interesting to do, and a small part of him (miniscule, mind you) was glad to heard from his young subordinate so often. He took the large envelope from the owl, and inside found the usual two envelopes. One addressed to Alphonse, and one addressed to 'Colonel Bastard', he couldn't help but smirk. "That's definitely Fullmetal" he muttered, though not soft enough to avoid the ears of his first lieutenant.

He stared at the envelope suspiciously, as if there might be a trap in there. _Knowing that runt, it's entirely possible_. He opened the envelope with the hands of a surgeon, and unconsciously held his breath.

It was then his face was completely impaired by a dark substance.

"Sir!"

"What the hell? Lieutenant! Get a towel!" Mustang ordered, trying not to get any of the foul substance in his mouth or eyes. After being handed the towel he quickly wiped his face and stared at the letter. The paper was completely unharmed, and there sat the report. "That little brat!" As he broke into a string of curses Hawkeye sighed.

* * *

_Brother, _

_What have you been doing? You know the colonel is really mad about that mud trick you pulled. What have you been doing? Where did you get it anyway?_

Ed grinned. _So the experiment partly worked then. I guess magic really doesn't work there then. If it did, the colonel would have had some burns on his face spelling 'Team Elric'_ Although he didn't quite expect it to work, Ed was a bit disappointed. He would have loved to imagine the colonel's expression, even if he would pay for it later. He continued to read the letter

_I thought about the theory you mentioned, and it seems to be the only thing that would make sense. But there are some things that don't seem to add up. All the creatures you mentioned having odd abilities, or their parts being able to be mixed together to make solutions that make a person grow tails or have good luck, just how much of an effect does this energy have? _

_The society's government seems to be really bad with control from what you told me. Don't they know about alchemy? After all, dad was with them for some time right? Not to mention they refuse to acknowledge a threat? That seems so weird!_

_So you're going to a magic school then? I think it's really risky, especially since you can't even do it! Alchemic imitation only goes so far after all, be careful Brother!_

Here, there was a blot of ink, as if the writer had been hesitant in the next words.

_There's something you should know as well. Lieutenant colonel Hughes is dead. He was murdered a few nights ago. Colonel Mustang called an investigation, and Sciezka told me that apparently he had been researching the philosopher's stone and the fifth lab, as well as the war in Ishbal. _

_I don't know what to think anymore. Those strange people, with the ouroboros tattoos, the Philosophers' Stone, or even possible treason in the military! Now, people are dying getting caught up in our mess._

_ I hope you stay safe, brother. _

_Love,_

_Al_

Ed's hands shook. "No…" he breathed out. _It's my fault. I got him involved in this, and now he's gone! _He thought of Gracia's kind smile, and how happy Elisia had always been with her father. All the times Hughes would brag about his family, and do his best to make them happy. _Why him, of all people? No, why anyone? Why does anyone have to die because of our goals? _

There was a commotion outside the room, and the door slammed open, as Ed attempted to regain his composure. Standing there were Harry, Hermione, Ron, the twins, and Ginny. "School book lists are here…" Harry said, but almost immediately followed by Hermione's accusing voice.

"You got accepted to Hogwarts Ed? I thought you were a muggle!"

Ed froze._ I can't tell them the truth. _"I- I guess I did" He said. "Why didn't you tell us you had magic power?" she asked. "I didn't know" Ed said, though he was already questioning himself.

"I bet you got it from your dad!" Ron said. Ed blinked.

"What?"

"You know, your dad! The famous alchemist? Hohenheim right? You must have gotten it from him!" Ron said, and Hermione glared at him. _I never told any of them about that bastard, did I? _Ed thought.

"How do you know about that?" Ed asked.

Ron seemed confused, before a look of realization crossed his face. At this point, Ed had realized as well. "When that man interrogated me, you were listening in weren't you?" Ed said, voice growing more accusatory. _These damn people are all so nosy! They don't know when to keep their noses out of a situation, they better not have heard too much…_

_"_Umm, you see, Ed.." Hermione said.

"What did you expect us to do? We knew practically nothing about you and you just appear one day with Dumbledore who gives us almost nothing to work with! What do you bloody expect us to do?" Ron said.

"I _expected _you to know when to keep your damn noses away from where they don't belong! Every single last one of you is way too nosy for your own good! What right do you people have to pry into my personal life? It was bad enough that paranoid old man gave me a damned _drug_ just to find out things that didn't even matter, but you go and eavesdrop on us because you can't accept the fact you don't know everything! Have you ever thought there was a good reason for that?" Ed ranted, leaving the whole room stunned. No one spoke, and Hermione held her head down as if in shame.

Ed then gave a huff and sat on his cot. _How much do they know? _

"So, you really are from Amestris?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence. Ed nodded.

"So you really are a muggle then?" Ed shrugged at this.

"But… you can't be a muggle! You were accepted into Hogwarts, weren't you?" Hermione said, almost desperately. Ed shrugged once again.

"Don't just shrug it off! I'm asking a question Ed!" Hermione said, her voice sounding eerily like Winry's, if only for a brief second.

"Blame your useless government for that. I don't know what you would consider me either." Ed said, already regretting it. "What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"What did I just tell you about prying into other people's business?" Ed snarled, venom dripping from his words. They were all taken aback, and Ed huffed, picking up his briefcase. "I'm going to continue my research." He said, leaving the room.

He didn't get too far.

There was a loud crack! And the twins appeared before him. "Settle down, Eddie. We just want to know a few harmless things" said George

"We have different definitions of 'harmless'. Get out of the way"

"You can't order us around" Fred said.

"Watch me" He growled.

"Please, Ed, why won't you tell us anything? Why are you lying to us?" Hermione said, voice pleading.

Ed felt a twinge of regret, remembering his interaction with Winry recently.

_"Why? How come you never talk to me? About your injuries, or about the two of you? Here I am as worried as I am, why don't you talk to me about anything important?!" Winry said, almost on the edge of tears. _

"Because you don't need to know" He said, pushing past the twins. _You don't need to get involved._

* * *

Ed had been holed up in the library for a while now. He didn't come out, or talk to anyone. Harry wasn't sure what to make of it. The emotion behind Ed's words betrayed a sort of grief, or pain. Had something happened?

As Harry paced the room, deep in thought he heard a crunching sound and looked down. Beneath his foot sat a piece of parchment, with some words written in a different language. Harry recognized a few words, such as 'Philosopher's stone', or 'Ishbal.' At the end the letter was signed off as simply Al, _Ed's little brother, right?_

Harry wondered what Ed had to do with the Philosopher's stone, but knew that unless someone could translate it he would never know. Ron poked his head through the door. "Oi! What are you doing in here? What is that?" Harry showed Ron the letter, saying "I found this" After reading it, Ron looked at Harry. "What is it?"

"A letter for Ed, from his brother I reckon"

"It's all jibberish! Is this his native language?" Ron said, squinting at the writing. "Probably" Harry said.

"Well, Mum is having some people come for dinner, to celebrate becoming a prefect" Ron said, averting his eyes from the letter. "Should we get Ed?" Harry asked.

Ron scoffed. "Won't talk to anyone. They tried, but he's still zoning them out. He's probably doing it on purpose, the prat"

"We'll get him to come around." Harry said. He honestly felt sympathetic for his blonde teen. _If I was in his position, I would probably do the same thing. _

Hermione poked her head into the room. "Harry! Ron! What's taking you so long?"

"We found a letter. Ed dropped it" Ron said bluntly. Hermione walked over to them, examining the letter. "They knew about the Philosopher's stone?" she said thoughtfully.

She gave a wry smile, saying "well, curiosity has gotten us into a lot of bad situations, hasn't it? What is the phrase? Curiosity killed the cat. Maybe Ed has a point.."

"There's a second part to that phrase. 'But satisfaction brought it back' right? If we hadn't dug into those situations, who knows where we would be now?" Harry replied. "Still, there might be some things just not worth knowing." Hermione protested. Harry found it slightly ironic to hear that from Hermione, who always liked to know everything. _Had Ed's words affected her so much?_

"Dunno, the bloke has metal limbs and a fat load of scars. I don't think we want to get involved with that" Ron said.

"All the same, something about him just doesn't sit right with me." Hermione said. Harry sighed. "I think we should try confronting him one more time. Maybe he will open up more if he knew us better"

This ended the conversation, and the trio headed for the kitchen in silence.

On the way there, they passed the library. "We should try and get him to come up" Harry said, opening the door. He could hear annoyed mutterings from Ron but ignored them. He was surprised to see that Ed wasn't even at the table where he usually worked. "Ed?" Harry called cautiously, but received no answer. He walked to the desk where Ed usually worked, and saw something odd. There were many scribbled notes, and odd diagrams all over the pages.

"What is this?" Harry muttered, as his two friends came to the desk to look at what he was staring at. "I remember seeing something like that before! I can't remember where though.." Hermione muttered.

"What the hell are you doing?" said a voice from behind them.

They all whipped around to see a slightly disheveled Ed. His bangs were as unruly as ever, there were slight bags under his eyes, though the eyes themselves were filled with anger.

"Ed! We were looking for you" Hermione said cheerfully.

"Well, I'm busy" He replied harshly.

"Ed, about earlier…" Harry said.

"Look, if you really want to know something, ask the old man. Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if you didn't get involved" Ed said, his voice growing rather low in volume. Ron muttered something along the lines of "that's what I said" though it went unheard.

"Ed! We're your friends aren't we? Why won't you confide in us?" Hermione said. He glared at her. "There are some things that aren't worth knowing"

Harry was puzzled by that statement. _Sure, there are plenty of things that are unpleasant to hear, but that's all the more reason to tell someone, rather than have them find out in a worse way right?_ He didn't want to be continuously left in the dark. It was aggravating, that people refused to allow Harry to access information. He knew he wouldn't get any answers from Dumbledore, and he wouldn't be able to rest until he could make sense of his mysterious friend.

"At least tell us this. What are you? A wizard or a muggle?" Harry asked.

"I told you already. I don't know what you would call me" Ed replied.

"But what do you mean? Aren't you a wizard? Wasn't your father a wizard?" Hermione asked.

"That bastard wasn't a wizard, I promise you that. Like I said, I don't know what you would call me"

"Stop being so vague!" Ron whined.

"Stop asking pointless questions"

Harry internally screamed in frustration. Ed had always been stubborn, but now he seemed adamant that the trio knew as little of him as possible.

Hermione sighed. "Well, Mrs. Weasly is having a small dinner party. Please come join us when you can" She left, followe by Ron, leaving Harry to stare at Ed. "what?" Ed asked.

"What do you know about the Philosopher's stone?" Harry asked. Ed looked at him oddly, before saying "It's not worth looking into, and not worth making"

"But why?"

"The cost is too high." He said simply.

"What is the cost?" Harry asked, almost afraid of the answer.

He seemed to stiffen a bit, before saying "Human life."

At this, Harry's eyes widened. He couldn't believe Ed's words. _Dumbledore had helped make something like that?_ "The old man didn't make a real one. The one you saved was incomplete" Ed said, as if reading Harry's mind.

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked. "I was told about it by the old man" He replied. Harry stayed silent as his fury boiled again. _So he was told all about me was he? Yet we only get lies about him. how is this fair?_

"Hey Harry" Ed said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about this. I just really can't say anything. For your sake, mine, and a bunch of other people's." He said, tone gravely serious. He then set to packing his things, and Harry acknowledged that the conversation was over. Harry decided to leave Ed be, and walked out of the library, deep in thought.

_"I just really can't say anything. For your sake, mine, and a bunch of other people's."_

What on earth did he mean by that? Who is Edward Elric, really?

**There it is! You can thank my wonderfully creative friend for the prank on Mustang.**

**Yes, I know, the ending is cheesy. But there it is. **

** The flashback with Winry is from the original Fullmetal Alchemist, I know, I happened to like that version of the scene better than Brotherhood (or the manga), and thought it fitted better. **

**Sorry for all the line breaks in this chapter. That won't become a regular thing.**

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	8. Chapter 8: Naturally Unnatural

**WOOOW this came late. I'm sorry. I am being bombarded with work and responsibilities, but I'm trying! A bit more of Harry's POV, and Ed will start recovering from his shock. **

**It's taking a lot longer than I expected to actually reach Hogwarts, I mean really? This is my 7****th**** chapter at Grimmauld Place! Oh well, plot goes the way it goes, and takes up as much space as it wants. This story probably will be pretty long, so there's that.**

**Thank you all for the support for this story! This story's followers are growing almost every day, and I have almost 100 followers now! I didn't want to keep you people waiting any longer than I already did working on this, which is why this chapter is dedicated to the 100 point. Anyway, that's still awesome for my standards, and as my first story to be posted, that means a lot to me. You are all absolutely amazing. In honor of this, a longer chapter than usual, in which quite a bit happens. Thank you all so much!**

**Moving on!**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

_"I just really can't say anything. For your sake, mine, and a bunch of other people's."_

_What on earth did he mean by that? Who is Edward Elric, really?_

Chapter 8- Naturally Unnatural

"Really? He said that?" Ginny said in an awed voice.

"That sounds.." One twin said.

"_Very_ suspicious" The other finished.

"Why does he tell you this but just give the rest of us attitude?" Ron grumbled, only loud enough for Harry to hear. Harry decided to ignore this comment and said instead "do you think someone is threatening him to keep quiet?" _like Voldemort. _

"Dumbledore trusts Ed, Harry. I don't think he's a Death Eater." Hermione said, understanding his train of thought immediately. "Besides, I doubt You-Know-Who would have any allegiance whatsoever to a muggle, no matter how odd the muggle is"

"But then there's this letter he left from his brother! It mentions the Philosophers Stone, and when I asked Ed-"

"You asked him about it?!" Ron said incredulously.

"Yeah, in the library. You know what he told me? The cost to make a Philosophers Stone is human life. How would he know something like that?" Harry pressed.

"Human life?!" The twins said, shocked. Hermione looked pale, and Ron appeared to have suddenly found a need to fiddle with his shirt. Ginny, apart from being shocked, was quite calm, contradicting what Harry would have expected. _I suppose being the only girl out of 7 kids toughened her up. _

Harry nodded at the twin's exclamation, saying "Yeah, but he also said that Dumbledore wasn't involved in the creation of a real one. The one I saved was incomplete"

"How did he know about that?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes at this.

"Don't you remember Ron? He was there when Harry mentioned it on the first night" she said. Harry shifted his feet at this, remembering his outburst, and how Ed had practically scolded him.

"He also said that Dumbledore told him" Harry mentioned.

"Dumbledore? When? He hasn't come to Grimmauld place for a while now has he?" Ginny said.

"We heard that he came a few times while we were asleep" the twins chimed in.

Harry couldn't believe this. Had Dumbledore purposely come to Headquarters while they were asleep to avoid questioning? Why had he talked to Ed but not Harry? What was it that Ed knew that made Dumbledore trust him with so much information? _He's a muggle for pete's sake! _

"To talk with Ed?" Ginny wondered aloud.

"Perhaps" one twin started

"Eddie is a bit more important than we thought" the other finished.

"Well, his father was famous wasn't he? He worked with Dumbledore! Maybe that's why Dumbleore trusts Ed so much?" Hermione suggested.

"But you have to admit, what he said about not telling me, and it being for the sake of him, us, and others, that's strange!" Harry said, desperate for his suspicion to be recognized. Hermione sighed. "Yes, Harry, we've already agreed it was suspicious. When we get to Hogwarts I'm going to try and find some information on Amestris. Until then I don't think there is anything we can do"

"Kids! Come down for dinner!" came Mrs Weasly's voice from below, abruptly drawing the conversation to a close.

When they arrived in the kitchen, Harry was surprised to see Ed had seated himself by Sirius and Lupin at the table. Granted, he looked slightly bored and annoyed, but this one of the few times he had come to dinner without being dragged there by someone, or simply coming, scarfing down a meal, and leaving. There was also a large banner, sporting the words "CONGRADULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE" as well as much larger amount of people than usual. He saw Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Tonks, Hestia Jones, as well as many others sitting at the table, or standing around it.

"Ah! Good, you're all here. First thing tomorrow morning we will head to Diagon Alley for your school things. Ed, dear, we need to get you all your things as well" Mrs. Weasly said, and Ed nodded in response.

"It was quite a surprise that you were actually a wizard, Ed! It explains a lot though" Tonks said, leaning over the table to see him. Harry noticed that Mad-Eye had been staring at Ed, more like a glare, really, the whole time. Ed, who occasionally glared back, though only huffed afterword, turning away. _Still mad about the interrogation I see.._

* * *

Ed was furious. He had been ever since THAT man had entered the room.

_Ed trudged to the kitchen, half hoping no one would be around when he went in. he didn't want to face anybody, and he didn't want to be near any more of the nosy people. But he was hungry, no, he was starving. _

_He walked into a room full of people, whose gaze had become fixed on him as he entered the kitchen. There were a bit more people than usual, and a large banner saying "CONGRADULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE", most likely for some achievement they had both gotten. Though Ed found it rather hard to imagine Ron getting some type of award in anything. _

_There was a long moment of silence before Ed spoke up. "What are you all staring at? Is it that surprising that I got hungry?" _

_Molly shook her head, hastily putting on a forced smile. "Of course not Edward! We were just surprised, you don't come to eat often these days, you really should eat more, and as a growing boy you need you proper nutrients" She said, adopting her overly caring tone. _

_"Is it true you got accepted to Hogwarts?" Sirius said, bringing up the subject that was probably bugging them all. Ed nodded, internally ready to punch something if he had to continuously answer these questions. "But I thought you were a muggle" Arthur said, seeming slightly off put. 'Him and his normal people obsession' Ed thought. _

_"I don't know. Ask the old man, or your government" Ed shrugged, heading for the table. As he dropped into his seat between Sirius and Remus, he took a large bite out of a piece of bread lying on the table. He absorbed himself in his meal, until the door opened once again. He looked up from the plate of various foods provided by Molly. _

_And fury filled his body. He shot up, saying loudly "You!" _

_Mad-Eye moody glared back at him saying "so you're still here, eh boy?" _

_"You're the man who spiked my drink!" Ed growled, fists clenching. He hated this man's guts, he hated how he thought it was OK to just spike a person's drink and ask about their personal life, hiding behind the excuse of precaution. _

_"So what if I am? What are you going to do about it, boy? You're just a muggle" Moody said, a gleam in his real eye. _

_"Watch me do something about it!" Ed said, attempting to charge at him, only to find himself being restrained. He gave a glace backwards, to see Sirius and Remus holding him back. "Ed! Calm down!"_

_"How the hell am I supposed to calm down?!" _

_"Just sit back down! You don't want to challenge him" Remus reasoned, in an attempt at a soothing voice. It had little to no effect. "But he-" _

_"you'd do best to listen to him boy. Unless you want to be further maimed?" Moody said, in a threatening tone. Ed wanted to punch him so badly. 'Who does he think he is?! It's like he wants to provoke me!' And then Ed froze._

_'That's it. He's trying to get something out of provoking me. Is he trying to get me to say something? Or does he think I'll show off my Alchemy? Either way, I'm not giving him what he wants'_

_Ed relaxed, and huffed. 'I'm not giving that man any information whatsoever. He won't get me' He took his seat in between Sirius and Remus and huffed. _

Ed gritted his teeth at the memory. _He thinks he can get the better of me? I'll show him_.

Harry and the rest of them stood awkwardly in the entrance, and Ed was tempted to make a comment, before Molly said "Ah! Good, you're all here. First thing tomorrow morning we will head to Diagon Alley for your school things. Ed, dear, we need to get you all your things as well" Mrs. Weasly said, and Ed nodded in response. _Buying freakishly odd supplies to go to a ridiculously old fashioned school where they teach some psychotic, distorted version of alchemy, and considers alchemy itself a lost art. That's one thing to take off my bucket list, right below getting killed by Teacher and right above becoming one of Mustang's paperwork trash bins. _

"it was quite a surprise that you were actually a wizard, Ed! It explains a lot though" Tonks said, leaning over the table to face him. "like what?" Ed asked.

"Like how you got past anti-muggle enchantments" She replied, seeming surprised, as if Ed was supposed to know that. Ed was about to respond, when more people began to trickle in. As they continued to bombard Ron and Hermione with congratulations, and sometimes Harry about the hearing and such. Occasionally they would try to engage in a conversation with Ed, saying something like "So YOU'RE the muggle then?" or "You're a lot younger than I expected. I heard you were 15 years old!" which was answered by a "yeah so what?" or an "I AM 15 dammit!" or even possibly an "I don't know" depending on his mood.

After another rant, Ed had finally had enough. He trudged out of the crowded room and out into the hallway. He was ready to head to the library, which was becoming his one private place, besides the occasional Hermione, when he heard something odd. There were increasingly loud sobs coming from a room upstairs, as well as some thuds. More on instinct than thought, Ed rushed towards wha he thought to be the source, soon leading to the opened door of the drawing room. Here, he saw a rather confusing sight.

He saw Ronald Weasly lying in a pool of blood on the floor, and Molly Weasly crying in front of him. _That's not right. Ron's downstairs talking to that tall guy, King-something, just a few seconds ago!_

"Molly?" Ed said, drawing the woman's attention. She turned a tear stained face to him, opening her mouth and closing it over and over, not saying anything comprehensible. Ed looked at her, before turning back to Ron's "corpse" only to see it had disappeared, and had been replaced by something else, something Ed didn't expect to be reminded of.

"Ed" said a grave voice.

"Lieutenant colonel Hughes?" Ed muttered, barely breathing the name that had begun to haunt him.

"They're devastated you know. I can't see my family again because of you. I didn't want to get caught up in your freak show, but I was dragged in anyway, look how I am now!" He said, and he removed his uniform top, revealing a bloody hole in his heart. Then it was gone, replaced by an animal looking creature, with long brown hair sprouting from its spine.

"Big brother Ed…" It said, in that chilling voice that caused a shiver to run down Ed's now trembling spine.

"Nina.."

"Let's play…" she said, before suddenly exploding into a large bloody puddle. Ed's eyes widened in horror, as he fell to his knees. _My fault.._

It transformed again, the puddle was gone, but the new thing was worse. The thing was in a large bucket, it was black all over and very slimy looking. It was a mess of bones, organs, and blood, surrounded by a large circle with intricate designs in it. "Why couldn't you bring back mommy Edward? You're supposed to be a prodigy aren't you?" said another voice, one that sounded far too close to the voice of truth.

He wanted to turn away, he wanted to run away and hide. _Why do so many people get hurt because of us? _

The thing as gone, so was the circle, but the next sight was the most chilling.

It was a suit of armor, shattered into several pieces, but still recognizable. Of course it was, there was no way Ed could possibly forget it. "…..Al?" when there was no response, He crawled towards it. "Alphonse!"

And then he saw it.

The pieces of metal on the floor, with odd designs on them, all written in a red substance that Ed knew very well.

He remembered the dream, about the bastard.

**_"Had you been there this may have been avoided. But you were gone. You were off in England"_**

"Ed?" Said a shocked voice, shaking him from his thoughts. the shattered metal was gone, and so was any other thing that had had appeared. In the doorway, stood Remus, brandishing a stick. Behind him was Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all shocked.

"Edward! Are you alright?" Remus said sharply. In truth, Ed was shaking. He could barely think comprehensively. Only jumbled thoughts filled his mind. _My fault…Hughes…Nina…Al…All my fault…I'm sorry… _

Something attached itself to Ed's automail shoulder, but he wasn't paying attention. Someone said his name, but he couldn't hear. Guilt washed over him, dulling his senses. "ED!" yelled something in his ear.

He jumped, and turned. They were all staring at him in horror, confusion, or concern. This finally reminded Ed of the present company, and how many questions he would have to answer. _If they find out anything, will the same happen to them?_

"Ed, are you alright?" Hermione said, cautiously approaching him. "You had us really worried when you weren't responding."

Ed nodded slowly, standing up, and brushing himself off. _I won't let it happen. These people won't suffer because of me._

* * *

"What _was _that anyway?" Ed asked. Most people had left, and the only people left were Sirius, Remus, Arthur, Molly, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and the twins. Ginny, after a long argument, was sent to bed. Ed was relieved that Mad-Eye left, he didn't feel comfortable saying _anything_ around him.

"That, Ed, was a boggart" Remus said. Ed rolled his eyes. "That's SO helpful, Remus" He said, tone dripping sarcasm.

"I'm surprised you haven't read about them, what do you do, holed up in that library? Sleep?" Ron said. Ed glared at him. It was true, he spent some time reading a book about "Magical Creatures", but his research had been primarily focused on their technique. Ed had also been vigorously studying anything he could find on 'spells', in order to be able to imitate them. He had truthfully not paid much attention to the creatures, as he could study them more effectively at Hogwarts.

"I have priorities. Creatures isn't one of them" was all Ed replied, however.

"Well, Ed, a boggart is shape-shifter. Its magic is very weak, so it's main use of shape-shifting is for defensive purposes. It will take form of the thing you fear most, and no one knows its true form." Remus summarized. Ed shivered. _It knows exactly what a person's worst fear is on sight?_

"Though, I haven't seen a boggart so conflicted about a person's fears before. Usually it needs some provocation to transform, but it seemed to simply shift on its own accord" Remus added, as more of an afterthought than anything else.

"I haven't seen any of those people or creatures before. Were they real? Or just things you read about?" Hermione asked. Ed tensed. _Should I say anything?_

"And they were saying a lot of odd things too, and one man looked like he was in a military! You called him a lieutenant or something?" Harry said.

_They can't know I'm in the military. I can't tell them._

"What was that broken metal?" Ron asked. "You called it Al"

Ed sighed. _I'll have to make something up. Dammit why do I have to keep lying like this? _"The man was a family friend. He died recently cause of something stupid I did. The dog-like thing was a chimera. It was a little girl and her dog, they were combined into that. They were later murdered by a serial killer. The metal was a broken suit of armor. My brother always wore it. It was a…" _a WHAT? A forced condition? No… _

"A hobby"

"What kind of hobby is that?" the twins added.

"Yeah! Uh, we had a lot of that stuff at home…heh" Ed said awkwardly.

"What about the thing in the bucket? In the circle?" Hermione pressed. Ed clenched his teeth. _How do I explain this? _"It said something, about bringing someone back?" Harry said.

"It was something from a story I read once. Me and my brother heard it when we were young. It just really stuck I guess" Ed said.

They looked unconvinced, but didn't press. _At least they have some boundaries._ Ed thought. Before thinking, _I just jinxed it didn't I?__  
_

Ed yawned loudly, stretching in his seat. "Well I'm beat. I'm gonna get some shut eye" He said standing up. "We're leaving for Diagon Alley first thing tomorrow morning. Please be ready" Molly called as he headed out of the kitchen.

As Ed lay in his bed, he surprised himself by almost immediately falling asleep. As he drifted out of consciousness, he braced himself for the nightmares sure to come.

* * *

"We're traveling by _what?" _Ed said, staring at the fire incredulously.

"Floo Powder. It's simple to use really. Step into the fireplace and say the name of where you're going as clearly as you can, it'll take you wherever you need to go!" Ron said. However, Ed continued to stare at the fireplace in disgust. The form of transportation reminded him far too much of a certain pyromaniac. _Won't you get burned in the process? And how is some powder supposed to make you teleport?_

Fred stepped into the fire, saying easily "Diagon Alley!" and he was engulfed by flames, before disappearing. Ed stared, wondering if h had missed something. As George followed his twin, Ed made sure not to blink, only to be surprised, when nothing else happens. Ed gulped, realizing he would be next. "Come on Ed, dear. We don't have all day" molly said, ushering Ed towards the flame. He took a handful of powder, and hesitantly put it in the flame. The green flame erupted in the fireplace, and Ed swallowed his remaining hesitance. He took a step forward and braced himself for the heat.

Though none came.

It was a warm, tickling sensation, though Ed knew that if he took too long with the name, he may choke on ash. He gathered his considerable amount of nerve and opened his mouth.

"Diagon Alley!"

Once again, Ed felt like he was spinning at very high speeds. Soon he was regurgitated from the fire, and his face made contact with pavement. As Ed got back to his feet, he muttered "Honestly, all of your ways of transportation are so damn uncomfortable! What is so wrong with a train? Or a car? Or walking?"

He took time to observe the place he was in. it was similar to a town, with many buildings in odd colors with odd names. The most noticeable was a large white building, not far from where he had landed.

He saw the twins, and soon the rest of them had come out as well. "Well, we should head to Gringotts first. Ed, do you know if you have a vault at Gringotts?" Molly asked. Ed nodded, holding the Key Dumbledore had given him. He had tried to throw it away in any way possible, even alchemy, but no matter how hard he tried, the Key just came back to his pocket. Ed had resigned himself to the fact he needed money to buy supplies, and this family was not going to be able to do it. _If only Amestrian currency worked here_.

* * *

"Blimey Ed! I didn't think you had so much money" Ron said in awe as they walked to the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. Ed shrugged. "You can take some. Don't know what I would do with that money"

"Really?" Ron said, but was quickly silenced by Molly hissing "Ronald!"

Ron winced, before saying "But really, you've got more gold than Harry!"

Harry nodded, though wondered why on Earth Ed had been so irritated when they entered.

_"Here it is, Mr. Elric" said the goblin, before unlocking the door. A wave of gold met everyone's eyes, the entire vault was covered in gold. Ed stared for a bit, before trudging into the vault. Harry was amazed, 'so this is the kind of money a researcher makes' Harry spotted a picture inside the vault and instinctively picked it up. It showed a beautiful woman, who reminded Harry quite a bit of his own mother, holding a small child with blonde hair. Next to her was a man who was frowning, holding an older boy with gold eyes and hair, who Harry assumed was Ed. "Hey, Ed, is this your family?" Harry asked. Ed walked over to look at the picture, before his eyes dilated in anger. He scooped up a bit of money into a bag, and dragged Harry and Ron out of his vault. _

"It's not my money. It's that bastard's money. I'm only taking it so I can get supplies" Ed said stubbornly. "Come now, Ed. I'm sure he must have had a good reason" Molly said, but Ed only huffed, saying "not likely."

Harry wondered why Ed would hate his father so much. What kind of situation did he leave them in to make Ed have such a fierce grudge?

They reached Flourish and Blotts, which was filled with students and parents. When they entered, Harry could have sworn Ed's eyes lit up like a child in a toy store. He ran to the nearest shelf and became absorbed in the books. Ron groaned. "We have another Hermione don't we?"

Hermione huffed, taking out her booklist and going off to pick out the required books. After a good amount of time, everyone had found what they needed. They all went to find Ed, who had most likely immersed himself in books. When Harry found him, he was putting away a book. Harry took the opportunity to run up to him. "Ed!"

He looked over and said "oh, hey Harry" Harry reached him and asked "Do you have everything you need?" Ed nodded. "I already bought my portion."

Harry nodded, noticing a small first year standing by a bookshelf. She was staring at Ed oddly, and Harry wondered if it was Ed's attire. His leather black shirt and pants, and the red coat were both quite out of the ordinary.

As Ed and Harry walked back to the group, there was a loud _Thud! _

Instinctively, they both whirled around, to see a large man looking horrified at the bookshelf, as it slowly tilted foreword. Harry's eyes widened in horror and was about to run foreword when he heard a loud clap.

He turned to Ed, who held his hands together, as if praying, before pressing them to the ground. _What's he doing?_ And then the floor erupted into what looked like blue lightning, and morphed. A large portion of the floor disappeared, and a wall of wood that looked like a geometric hand rose above the small girl, who had been standing in front of the bookshelf.

There was a loud crash! And dust clouded the area.

When the smoke cleared, the bookshelf was broken, and books scattered the floor. Harry ran to where the little girl was, underneath the makeshift shield that Ed had seemingly created. Thankfully, she seemed unharmed when her mother ran to her, in hysterics.

Harry turned to Ed, who stood up, looking relieved.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

**There it is! I feel really bad about the cliffhanger, but this could've gone on forever and I needed a cut off. Sorry!**

**I decided in Ed and Moody's second interaction Ed's rebellious tendencies would tie into his anger. As far as I've seen, I think he would have refused to give Moody any form of satisfaction over him. That's what I think at least.**

**I actually wasn't originally going to include the bit with the boggart, but then I thought 'Ed is already angsty, so why not?' I'm cruel, I know, but there it is. I apologize. Also, I didn't make that part in Amestrian for a reason. I figured that even though the boggart could transform and all that, It couldn't speak Amestrian. Even though it could see into his mind, it couldn't register the words being said, but it sensed the guilt and conflict Ed felt for each person. The boggart is very good at distinguishing these types of feelings, which is why it can transform into exactly what it needs to, but it was all in English.**

**Please check out my new poll for this story on my profile! "In which house do you think Ed belongs?" The poll may or may not affect the story, depending on how I feel, though it's primary purpose is to see what you guys think. I'm interested to see what you think, as the moment of truth is coming soon. **

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	9. Chapter 9: Shopping

**I think there was some sort of misinterpretation somewhere, (or most likely I just missed something, or messed something up) about my knowledge of the two series I am working with. I have read all of the Harry Potter books, and seen the movies. I have watched both seasons of Fullmetal Alchemist. I would never write a story about series I don't know, especially when their fanbases are as big as the ones I'm working with, for fear of insulting the people who know the series. I just wanted to clear this up, as it seems I'm getting certain praise I don't quite deserve. I am sorry for the confusion.**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHMIST BROTHERHOOD OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

_As Ed and Harry walked back to the group, there was a loud Thud! _

_Instinctively, they both whirled around, to see a large man looking horrified at the bookshelf, as it slowly tilted foreword. Harry's eyes widened in horror and was about to run foreword when he heard a loud clap._

_ He turned to Ed, who held his hands together, as if praying, before pressing them to the ground. What's he doing? And then the floor erupted into what looked like blue lightning, and morphed. A large portion of the floor disappeared, and a wall of wood that looked like a geometric hand rose above the small girl, who had been standing in front of the bookshelf. _

_There was a loud crash! And dust clouded the area. _

_When the smoke cleared, the bookshelf was broken, and books scattered the floor. Harry ran to where the little girl was, underneath the makeshift shield that Ed had seemingly created. Thankfully, she seemed unharmed when her mother ran to her, in hysterics. _

_Harry turned to Ed, who stood up, looking relieved. _

_"What was that?" Harry asked._

Chapter 9- Shopping

Ed was conflicted. He had no regrets about his actions, but he was now desperately grasping for a way to get himself out of the mess he had created. _What's the phrase? 'I've dug my own grave' that's it. _

Harry wasn't the only one staring at him, plenty of other people were staring, or whispering softly to the people around them. Molly's group was staring at him, awed by what they had seen. _Shit, how the hell do I explain this?_

The large man who caused the incident walked up to Ed, and Ed instantly felt inferior. The man's size rivaled that of Major Armstrong's, and Ed didn't appreciate having to crane his neck to face the man, whose face was already hard enough to see through the messy beard. His massive overcoat seemed rather bulky for summer weather. _Then again, I'm wearing gloves, aren't I? Does he have something to hide? _The coat seemed to be riddled with pockets almost everywhere. Some were bulky, signaling having something in them, others seemed to be unoccupied at a glance. He stared down at Ed and said in a low, gruff, yet kind voice, "Sorry 'bout that. I've always been rather clumsy"

Ed was surprised at the gentleness of the words, contradicting every other feature he had. _At least his ego isn't inflated, but if he starts crying I'm running. _

"that magic ye' used, very impressive! I've 'ever seen someone use wandless magic! 'ow old are ye'?" The man said, patting Ed's shoulder with a massive hand. The strength was definitely Armstrong's, and Ed felt his weight pressed into the ground at the pat the man gave him. He looked the man straight in the eyes, black meeting gold, and said "Fifteen"

"Wow! Ye' look younger. So yer Hogwarts age? What house are ye' in?" Ed gritted his teeth, before saying "this is my first year there, so I don't have a house yet" He recalled the houses from conversations-or rants- around headquarters from fellow students, as well as in a book he had found, called _Hogwarts: A History._ He personally found it odd, to base a person's entire school life on a small handful of traits.

The man seemed confused, before saying "Oh! Yer the new student Dumbledore mentioned! Edward Elric? Nice to meet yeh, I'm Rubius Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts"

Ed grumbled "So _everyone _knows about me before I meet them?"

He let out a booming laugh, "seems so, doesn't it? 'ave ye' bought yer wand yet?" Ed shook his head 'no' before he was reminded of the people around him.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, from next to him. He turned to Harry and his beard shifted into what looked like a wide smile to Ed, though he couldn't quite be certain. "'arry! Good to see ye'! 'ow are yeh?" As they caught up, Ed took in the situation around him. His creation was still there, and he knew he would have to pay for it. _They've already seen it once. What's one more time going to do?_ He thought walking over to the rubble. He crouched on the ground, and clapped his hands, picturing the equation in his mind. Hearing the satisfying ring, he placed his hands on the ground, and watched, as the hand returned to the floor. He repeated the process on the broken bookshelf, before standing up and turning around, dusting his clothes off. There were a few scattered claps, and soon everyone was clapping. Ed started feeling a bit uncomfortable at the amount of attention he was getting. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered him, in fact, he would have welcomed it. However, this wasn't Amestris, and it was starting to sink in how much trouble he was in.

The shocked look on Molly's face was enough for him to realize this much.

* * *

Mustang's side was still sore. The burns were efficient at the time, but now, they were hell to deal with. Of course he didn't regret it. If he hadn't done what he did, many people could have died the other day, including himself. He had also gained valuable information, about Homunculli. He counted on Alphonse to relate the information, but something had been bugging the colonel for the longest time.

_"It's a shame, I really didn't want to have to kill one our sacrifice candidates" Solaris said distastefully. _

_"Oh really? Who may the others be?" Roy said coolly, though inside he was panicking. The woman should have been burned alive, yet there she stood, perfectly fine, claiming to be a Homunculus. Solaris chuckled, saying "Now, why would I tell a mere human like you something like that? Though, I suppose it would do you good to know we have an eye on your little brat in London" _

_His eyes widened as he processed these words. She smirked wider. _

_"Oh, I seem to have struck a nerve" Roy's fists clenched at this. "What the hell are you planning to do with him?" _

_She laughed at this, and before He knew what had happened, she was in his face, spears pressed to his neck. "That's for us to know, and you to ponder on in the last moments of your miserable human life"_

He was concerned, he admitted it. The colonel was extremely concerned for his young subordinate. How many of these monsters are there? And if one of them was tailing Fullmetal, it was likely he wasn't aware. If that was the case, Fullmetal was not only vulnerable, he was also in lots of danger. Of course, Alphonse was informed, but that didn't lessen the chance that the two had already had an encounter.

"Damn, this mission is turning out to be more of a hassle than I thought." he muttered, stifling a yawn, a sharp pain going through his body. "ngh, that's not the only thing either."

* * *

"That was brilliant!" said the twins in that eerie unison of theirs. They were walking away from the store, after a large amount of handshaking, thanks, discounts, and hastily stopped questions. Now, however, they didn't hesitate to comment on the previous events.

"You performed such sturdy magic without a wand, or any education or experience? That's…Incredible! No… almost impossible!" Hermione said in awe. Ed was growing more annoyed by the second, not at all appreciating the comparison of his technique to "magic".

"That didn't even look like magic. Do you always need to clap your hands?" Ginny question, as Ed gritted his teeth again.

"It looked more like you were molding than anything, Ed, dear, where did you learn that type of odd magic? I thought you only learned about it recently" Molly said concerned.

And he snapped.

"It's _alchemy_, not magic for pete's sake!" He snapped. They all stopped in their tracks, gaping at him. Then Hermione laughed. "That's funny Ed, alchemy is a lost magic, and it has nothing to do with manipulating material the way you did" Ed glared at her.

"I don't know what kind of phony alchemy you've been reading about, but that's not real alchemy. We don't sit in our basements and stir up potions or whatever" Ed huffed.

Hermione looked skeptical, as she said "then what _do_ you do?" _Clearly, she doesn't like being incorrect._ Ed noted, before letting out a long sigh. "Look, can I explain this later? It will take a hell of a lot of time and I'd rather not spend more time here then I need to"

"What's so secret you can't say it here? And why does it matter that we stay here a while?" Ron asked, his tone accusing. Ed rolled his eyes. "If I have something to say that's "so secret I can't say it here" why would I tell you here? Besides, were drawing a lot of attention. Don't we have shopping to do or something?"

At this, Ron simply glared, seemingly unable to retort. Ed shrugged at this, pulling out his supply list. "So, what other freakish things do we need to buy?" he muttered, though it wasn't soft enough to evade the ears of Molly, who huffed, before saying loudly "we need to go to Madam Malkins. Ron's robes are far too short, he's grown so much. Harry, you need them as well, so do you Ed, dear"

Ed groaned. _And now they're making me go buy a dress. I have to go back home and punch the Fuhror in the face for ordering this mission. As well as Colonel Bastard, a few times._

When they walked in, Ed immediately wanted to turn around, and run. Ed saw a variety of different fabrics, all long and flowing. Everywhere he turned, there were odd everyday objects flying around, such as a tape measure, or scissors, or even a box of needles. Ed couldn't help but wonder what would happen if one of them went awry. _This laziness will be the death of these people. _The store was filled with people, either browsing, or being measured. He saw a sharp looking woman, who was sticking needles into a boy's sleeve and internally began panicking.

"Ed, dear, you need to go be measured" Molly urged, gently pushing him foreword. Ed gulped. "Couldn't I just buy one with an approximate size?"

"What if they don't make a size small enough for you?" Fred said, with an evil grin planted on his face, mirrored by his twin. "Why you…" Ed growled, before being cut off by Hermione. "Ed, it's just a few measurements. Harry and Ron will get them too"

Ed shook his head. "I'd rather not. I can get some fabric and work with that"

"But your uniform won't be proper! This is so much easier" She protested

"No. I'm not going over there"

"C'mon mate, it's just a few measurements" Ron said.

"Unless," Fred said.

"Lil' Eddie is afraid!" George completed.

"Don't call me small! And I'm not scared of anything" Ed protested, still glaring at the woman.

"Then why won't you get measured?" Harry asked, a smirk playing on his face that immediately reminded Ed of a certain pyromaniac.

"Because I don't see a reason to!" Ed replied sharply, averting his gaze from the sharp objects the woman held.

"Come on, Ed, It will be quick and painless" Molly urged. Ed shook his head, but then the woman spotted him. Ed muttered a few choice swears under his breath. _I'm not going near that woman. What do I do? Should I make a run for it? That's it. I'll run for the nearest shop and hide. _The woman walked closer and closer to him, needle in hand. It shone in the light, popping out in Ed's vision, and panic engulfed him.

He ran.

* * *

As the group walked away, Hermione was somewhat disturbed by the events that had taken place. It had involved quite a bit of yelling, running, dragging, and hitting, which had all eventually led to a stun spell and an angry teen. The previously mentioned teen was currently walking next to her, muttering darkly under his breath in that native language of his. Although she couldn't make out his words, she thought she heard something that sounded vaguely like "chimera" and began to wonder what exactly he was saying. Afterwards, the twins had gone to the joke shop, much to Mrs. Weasly's distaste. As for Ed, He had been muttering in this fashion ever since being released from the binding spell, and had not spoken a word of English. It would have worried her, but in his current situation, and his mood, she decided to leave him alone. She had learned from experience that he was not fond of pity, nor was he appreciative of worry.

As they made a turn into another part of the large street, Hermione noticed a certain shop that reminded her of something urgent. "Mrs. Weasly? Could I make a quick stop at the Magical Menagerie? I need some more food for Crookshanks." She turned to Hermione, who said kindly "Of course, dear. Why don't you take Ed with you? In case he wants his own owl."

"I'm right here you know" Ed grumbled.

"We all will go to the Apothecary and-"

"We want to go too!" Said Harry and Ron eagerly. She looked hesitant, but then said "Fine. But you four better not get into too much trouble, you understand?"

"We won't, mum! You can trust us" Ron said, and with that they headed for the shop.

* * *

Ed wasn't quite sure why he was even going with them. He didn't need to own a pet, he had no time to. He only hoped to finish his research and go back to Amestris, where he could continue to pursue his real goal. _Then again, it might be good to have my own owl. At least I don't have to rely on someone else for reports. Plus, I could probably train it to peck him over and over again every time it sees him. _At the thought of the colonel cringing beneath a large owl's beak, Ed couldn't help but grin.

"Ed? You alright?" Harry asked, noticing the change. Ed nodded a 'yes', before saying "Just thinking, is all. Where are we going?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you had paid attention, you would know we are going to the Magical Menagerie, to buy some food, and you an owl. Or a cat, or toad if you prefer" Hermione said. Ed cringed at the idea of buying, walking around with, and taking care of a toad. Nor could he bring himself to buy a cat, not with Al so heavily on his mind.

As they entered the shop, Ed was greeted with a foul smell, and lots of noise. There were noises such as squealing, meowing, chirping, and something that sounded suspiciously like a roar to Ed, though at this point he wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised. After all, this kind of thing was an everyday occurrence now wasn't it?

Ed shivered. _I'm not exactly what you would call ordinary, but even I shouldn't have to admit this life is normal._

As Ed cautiously took a step forward, he felt something nudge his foot. He looked down, to see a small cat with tan fur and kind, innocent eyes. Ed felt a pang in his heart, as he reminded himself of how Al would have loved to keep it. _He probably could have too, if I hadn't dragged him into all of this_.

As the others went in their own directions, Ed noticed Harry had stayed behind. "Ed? Do you know what you want?" He asked. Ed blinked, before registering the question and saying "Oh, yeah. I want an owl" Harry nodded, saying "alright, the good ones are over here" He led Ed towards the back of the shop. Ed saw a large variety of owls, and wondered which one would be most irritating for the colonel. _I'm not going to be here long. I might as well make the most of what I have. _After a while of browsing, he spotted a small owl in a cage, staring at him with what looked like a glare to Ed. He soon realized he had been glaring back, though only when Harry tapped him on the shoulder, shaking him from his concentration. He jumped, saying "Dammit Harry!" Harry chuckled, before saying "You like that one?"

Ed huffed. "How can that one even carry mail? It doesn't look like it has any particular strength to hold letters"

"Look who's talking, mate" Ron said, appearing behind the two. Ed whipped around like a viper, saying loudly "What's that supposed to mean?!" A good portion of conversation nearby fell silent at this, and people stared at the trio. Ed glared at them, and the onlookers hastily turned away.

"Ah, I see you have your eye on this little one. His species is hard to come by these days, a breed of Elf Owl. Though, he is one of our fastest messengers, despite being a bit feisty. He's been in there for years" Said the elderly man who ran the shop, when Harry had presented him the cage with the small owl.

Ed felt a twinge of sympathy for the owl. He wondered what it would be like to be trapped in a cage for so long. _Does Al feel the same about being trapped in armor? It's already been 3 years._ After paying for the owl, the three set out to find Hermione.

"What will you name him?" Ron asked. Ed thought on this for a while, before saying "whippersnapper" while staring at the owl, who had hooted in protest. Ron burst out laughing.

"What?"

"Look, mate, I hate to break it to you but that's not exactly a perfect name" he said through large breaths, as he attempted to control himself. Ed huffed, "It's better than Pig. Who names an _owl_ Pig of all things?"

Ron's face flushed, and Harry groaned. "Look, both of you.."

"Oh! There you are!" came a feminine voice they all knew very well. Their bushy-haired friend ran up to them happily before looking at the cage in Ed's hands. "Oh! You bought an owl! It's so cute, but does it carry mail? What type is it? What did you name it?"

She relentlessly bombarded Ed with questions, which he hastily either answered, shrugged at, or simply ignored. When they finally reached the apothecary Ed was somewhat relieved to be rid of the questions. He had been so close to snapping. Ed noticed Ron had wrinkled his nose at the sight of the shop and asked "something wrong?"

Ron shook his head, but still looked sick. "Nah, just that seeing this shop reminds me of Snape" he grumbled. "Who?"

"A foul man who teaches Potions at Hogwarts" Harry filled in. "He favors his own house, and is completely unreasonable. He's-"

"Oi! What are you all doing back there! Stop dawdling in the entrance!" came Ginny's voice, effectively cutting Harry off from his rant.

"Coming! Coming!" Ron said in an annoyed voice. Ed walked in, and then froze.

The whole shop was filled with odd limbs, hairs, pots, and full dead animals. He noticed dead snails, powders, frog limbs, and a number of other odd limbs that made him sick. Just the sight disgusted him, but then there was the smell. He had assumed the Menagerie to be the worst of it, but the odd smells in the store had completely surprised him. It was an odd combination, though he thought he did indeed recognize some of the smells. However, the combination as a whole was just as disgusting as the sight itself. He felt his breakfast slowly making it's way to his through, before fighting the nausea. _Think happy thoughts, happy thoughts, Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium… _

"Oi! Earth to midget!" said two voices, dragging Ed out of his temporary panic. He growled, and once again he attracted the attention of every shopper in the nearby area.

"IM NOT SHORT DAMMIT! YOU'RE ALL JUST GIANTS!"

Once Ed had settled down he began to examine the odd ingredients in the store. Hermione came up to him looking confused, and he braced himself for a question he knew was coming. "You said you practice alchemy right? Shouldn't this type of thing be your specialty? You look like this is all foreign to you" She said, stopping him from grabbing a black powder in a jar he had attempted to touch. "And I wouldn't do that. That powder is easily contaminated"

Ed turned to face her, annoyed. "I thought I already explained this. I don't know what kind of Alchemy you've read about, but it's not the real thing. We don't stir up these creepy materials in a pot and do some weird hocus-pocus to it. We're _scientists_" He said slowly and in an exaggerated voice, as if speaking to a foreigner. This seemed to frustrate her and she tried again. "But, I know that alchemists seek to create the elixir of life, and turn lead into gold. That is their goal. And to do that they need to work with potions don't they?"

Ed let out a long, frustrated sigh. "We don't have such a one-track goal. And turning lead into gold is illegal where I came from. It would screw up the economy. I told you already I would explain later, so can you stop asking stupid questions?" she looked irritated at the last remark, but did as she was told. Ed was grateful for it, he just wanted to get out of this place and continue his research. He wanted to talk to his brother, and he needed a way to fix the mess he had created.

Ed was glad when they finished their shopping in the Apothecary. He let out a small breath of relief, before being told that he had to buy a wand from Ollivander's. He had honestly hoped to skip that part. He hated the idea of waving around a stick and then having something happen. It wasn't natural.

When they reached the shop, Ed couldn't help but think the place was slightly run-down. It hadn't been cleaned in a while by the looks of it, and in the windows Ed could barely see anything. He had a brief moment of Deja vu, of when they had first met the librarian Schiezka. _This Olivander guy better not be buried under a stack of boxes. _

"We can't come in with you, so we'll come get you later, alright?" Molly said, looking worried. Ed nodded, taking a deep breath, before turning the doorknob and walking inside. There was a light chime as he walked in to a mountain of boxes. There was one small table in the center, with a lamp and a few ladders next to it. He couldn't help but notice that the ladders were moving, and that there were yet more floating objects. "Hello? Anyone home?" Ed asked, half hoping no one would answer. But to his disappointment, a man scurried out into the room. He was very old, and holding a large stack of boxes. He hastily put them down walking up to ed. "Welcome! Are you a new student?" the man, who Ed guessed to be Ollivnder, said in a kind voice.

"Yeah, I need a wand. I was told to show you this" Ed said pulling out the key. He hated the idea of needing something that belonged to the bastard, but he needed to finish this stupid mission, else who knew what would happen to Al?

Ollivander examined the key before his eyes widened and he stared back at Ed. "You wouldn't be the Son of Hohenheim that Dumbledore mentioned? The genius alchemist?"

"Don't remind me of that bastard." Ed growled. Ollivander nodded. "I see… hold out your wand arm" He said, grabbing the tape measure from the air. Ed blinked, confused. "You dominant hand?" Ollivander tried.

"I'm ambidextrous"

"The hand you would write with, then"

Ed nodded, holing out his left flesh hand for the man to measure. After a few more odd measurements Ollivander left, leaving Ed bewildered. _Why the hell would he need to measurement of my nose of all things? This society makes less sense every day._

When Ollivander returned, he held out a stick to Ed. "Holly, Unicorn Hair, 11 inches, springy" He recited, as Ed took it. "Attempt to create a statue" Ollivander instructed. Ed did so, surprised when the desk broke in half. Ollivander shook his head taking the wand away. Ed clapped his hands, before repairing the table. "No transmutation circle, just like Hohenheim.. I wonder…" Ollivander mused.

He handed Ed another wand, and told him to repeat the process. Ed was growing annoyed at the lack of results, and by this man's enthusiasm. He seemed to get more excited with every failure, seeming to like the challenge. Finally, Ollivander handed him a wand. "This is the first wand I have ever made to be combined with a philosopher's stone fragment. I am quite fond of it. Cedar, thestral hair, nine and a half inches, firm. An interesting wand indeed." Ed cautiously took the wand, and tried once again. He felt a flood of relief in him when he created the statue perfectly as he had hoped. He felt a warm sensation course through him and Ed marveled at it, before Ollivander said "curious, quite curious… you are bound for great things, Mr. Elric" he said solemnly. On that somber note, Ed paid for the wand and exited the shop, confused.

* * *

They all sat at the table after a long day. It was already dinner time, and everyone was worn out from the long day.

"Ed, I think it's time you explain yourself to the order" Molly said, in a motherly tone that made Ed unsure how she was feeling, concerned or stern.

"I would like to hear this" Sirius said, as him, Remus, Arthur, and Tonks all looked intrigued at Ed.

"I would as well" came a gruff voice from the doorway. Everyone's heads turned, and Ed's blood boiled once again. "You.." he growled, clenching his fists.

In the doorway stood Alastor Moody, holding a silver chain in his hand. On the end of it, hung the Silver Pocket watch Ed had left in his room.

"I knew you were a fishy character from the moment you entered Headquarters, and this only furthers my evidence" Moody growled.

"How did you get that?!" Ed said, shooting to his feet.

"I know this symbol very well boy, it's the symbol of the Amestrian Military. Now how did a child like you come to have it, eh?" Moody continued, unperturbed by the outburst.

Ed froze, as he felt the color drain from his face. Among the jumbled thoughts in his mind, one question came out clearest.

_What do I do now?_

**OK. I'm sorry for the long delay. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. My reasons are the same as last time.**

**Hagrid's way of speech is harder to imitate than I expected. The wording may be a bit awkward, but I tried my best. Please, if you have any suggestions on how to improve it, I'm all ears! If I need to tone it down, I will, after all, he ****_is_**** a part of the plot. I'm sorry if certain personalities are a bit off, I wrote this while on a writer's block.**

**If you are wondering about the flashback from Mustang, I used the name Lust went by when she stages as Havoc's girlfriend. If my memory serves correctly, Mustang did not know her name was Lust.**

**NOTE ON EDWARD'S WAND**

**Cedar wood, "Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, 'you will never fool the cedar carrier,' and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never yet met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them" ~ Garrick Olivander (Pottermore wiki) **

**I thought out of all the woods I looked at, this one was the most fitting. The thestral hair core comes from one of Olivander's early wands. They usually choose people who have seen death and had a hard life. **

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	10. Chapter 10:Explanations and Connections

**One answer to a frequently asked question: Why no reaction from Ed at the mention of a Philosopher's Stone in his wand? He doesn't react in any significant way because he already was made aware that for his custom wand it would include an incomplete fragment of the philosopher's stone. He was told this by Dumbledore in chapter 6. I am sorry for the confusion this may have caused.**

**For the sake of this chapter, I am changing the format style. ****_This means English_**** for certain situations. You will know when the time comes. For all future chapters unless noted ****_this signals speech in a foreign language to the point of view. _**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES! **

_In the doorway stood Alastor Moody, holding a silver chain in his hand. On the end of it, hung the Silver Pocket watch Ed had left in his room. _

_"I knew you were a fishy character from the moment you entered Headquarters, and this only furthers my evidence" Moody growled._

_"How did you get that?!" Ed said, shooting to his feet. _

_"I know this symbol very well boy, it's the symbol of the Amestrian Military. Now how did a child like you come to have it, eh?" Moody continued, unperturbed by the outburst. _

_Ed froze, as he felt the color drain from his face. Among the jumbled thoughts in his mind, one question came out clearest. _

_What do I do now?_

Chapter 10- Explanations and Connections

"Well, boy?" Moody demanded, both eyes staring straight into Ed's. Fury boiled in at the sight of the man's cold glare, and Ed attempted to retrieve the watch, only to be held back by a suspecting Remus Lupin.

"What gives you the damn right to look through my things? Is this a normalcy in this place? To search with no limits of another's rights? I've just about had it." He said, just barely suppressing the urge to punch the nearest person he could find.

"Ed, calm down…" Remus said, attempting to sooth the clearly furious teen. However, his attempts were all in vain.

"I've had it with you people sticking you noses wherever they can fit! You have no sense of when to respect a person's privacy, you just want to know everything about anything right? You know there was a man; he was much smarter than you people. He was dragged into something he shouldn't have been, and now he's dead!" Ed raged, and as he said those words he felt his heart sink. _That's right, he's dead, all because he got involved. Poor Gracia, and Elisia too._

"Ed..." Hermione breathed out, tone dripping sympathy, and pity. This only served to infuriate Ed even more, how he hated the idea of being pitied.

"Then let me ask you this boy, if you learned that something suspicious was happening, and you knew exactly how to deal with it, and how much it could harm society, would you just sit by because someone told you to?" Moody said, voice dangerously low.

Ed stopped in his tracks, thinking of the recent events at the fifth laboratory. _I almost got killed, but I learned valuable information about the stone, the military, and my enemies. I don't know if you could call it 'worth it' but it was overall something that could have been left alone, causing more people to die. _Ed shook his head. _ But that's different! I haven't done anything to make these people assume I'm dangerous! Sure, I used some Alchemy, but that shouldn't bother them in this freak show of a society!_

"Now do you see boy? Why it is necessary to take precautions, and keep constant vigilance! To-"

"Shut up! That doesn't justify anything! You have been sticking your nose into my life ever since I got here! What exactly makes me so suspicious that you have to go through my stuff?!" Ed said, finally ripping his hands from Remus's grip.

* * *

Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. It seemed so odd to see Ed like this. So angry, and frustrated.

"_The man was a family friend. He died recently cause of something stupid I did."_

Harry wondered about that. Was this man the same as the one he mentioned then?

_ "The dog-like thing was a chimera. It was a little girl and her dog, they were combined into that. They were later murdered by a serial killer." _

Harry couldn't help but wonder why he didn't pay attention to that earlier. His country was riddled with things that they didn't know about, and Ed had been involved with situations like that. Ed was clearly _not_ some random researcher. But then what?

_"I know this symbol very well boy, it's the symbol of the Amestrian Military. Now how did a child like you come to have it, eh?"_

Was Ed a soldier? Harry shook the thought from his head. _15 year olds don't become soldiers. _

"-thought you trusted the Old Man!" Ed said loudly, interrupting Ed from his thoughts. "Ed, please, just give him the answers he wants." Remus tried to reason. Ed scoffed and Harry sighed. _Of course he has to be stubborn._

"He's not going to rest until he finds a reason for me to get locked up! I'm not telling him anything!

"I could always give you the Veritesserum again. Do you want me to take those measures? Because I warn you now I will not hesitate to do so, even if I have to use force" Moody growled. _Why is he taking it so far? Even Moody isn't normally like this._

"Come now, Mad-Eye! That's taking things too far! He's fifteen!" Mrs. Weasly said, glaring at him disapprovingly.

"Ed? Do you blame yourself for that man's death?" Hermione asked, breaking the tension of the air as Ed turned sharply to face her. "What?"

"You said yesterday that someone died because of something stupid you did. Now you say it's because he got involved in something he shouldn't. Do you blame yourself?" She asked. Harry stared at Hermione in awe, _she figured that out?_

Ed's fist clenched as he said "If I didn't get him involved he would still be alive. Gracia and Elisia would be happy, and so much grief could have been spared. Is it so wrong to take responsibility?"

"Ed…" Ginny said softly.

"Edward. Please, if you explain what's going on things will be so much easier. Why don't you just tell us?" Remus tried again, to soothe Ed's anger. Ed shook his head, "My life is none of your business"

"What are you talking about?! Were your friends Ed! How is this not our concern?!" Hermione said loudly, directing everyone's attention. No one spoke, as she looked at Ed expectantly. "Damn it all" He muttered. "That's exactly why I _can't _tell you!" He protested.

"Look, Ed. All we want is a general picture of your situation. We won't get into trouble. Besides, what could be so bad from a muggle country that the wizarding world can't handle?" Sirius said, clearly getting annoyed. Ed glared, before letting out a loud sigh. "Fine." He said, before turning to Moody. "But on condition he doesn't keep poking around afterword."

Moody scoffed, before saying "Fine boy. If you tell us what we want to know truthfully now, I won't dig farther into your personal life unless I find it absolutely necessary." Ed seemed annoyed at that, but then said "Alright. What first?"

"What is alchemy?" Remus asked.

Ed nodded, resuming his seat. "Alchemy is the science of understanding, deconstructing, and reconstructing matter. It follows the principle of equivalent exchange,"

"Hold on, I thought alchemy was a lost magic! The one where they try to create a philosopher's stone and turn lead into gold?" Ron said, clearly still confused.

"I don't know what kind of sick alchemy that was, but that isn't it. We can turn lead to gold, but it's illegal, 'cause otherwise it would screw up the economy. As for the philosopher's stone, only a few people I know of study it, and regret it."

"Because it requires human life?" Harry asked. Ed turned to him and nodded. People in the room gasped, besides the ones who Harry had already told.

"That's awful" Tonks said softly.

"How did you come by that information?" Moody asked.

"My brother and I looked into it. We had been researching it for a good 3 years, searching for it. Then we got access to a certain man's research notes, which we decoded. And there we found the answer." Ed explained.

"Why were you looking for it?" Arthur asked, and the room went quiet, and the whispers died down, as all eyes turned expectantly to Ed. Harry had to admit, he was extremely curious about this, and had been ever since Ed had told him this information.

"When we were younger, there was an accident. Something stupid that my brother and I did, resulting in my losing a leg, and my brother who almost lost everything." Ed said, and Harry noticed his voice shaking ever so slightly. "I used alchemy to bring back his soul, in exchange for my right arm. It was attached to a suit of armor, and I was fitted with automail, by a friend of mine who happened to live nearby. We wanted the stone in order to get our bodies back to normal. In order to do that, I joined the military three years ago. We gained access to the military information, and the pay helped to support us. I'm here to further my research." Ed explained, and the room fell silent.

"So you're in the military?" Sirius said, sounding slightly impressed. "But if you joined three years ago, then you would have been twelve! Does your government really recruit people so young?" Molly said, sounding distressed. Ed shrugged. "I'm considered a child prodigy. They recruit based on examinations, which are usually hard enough to keep the younger people out, and most people don't want to do it anyway. I'm the youngest recruit in history" Ed said, a hint of pride in his voice. Harry found it odd, to think that Ed was a soldier. The idea of Ed walking around in a military uniform and obeying an officer seemed so bizarre.

"Though I have to ask. How do _you_ know the symbol so well?" Ed said, turning to Moody.

"Had an old friend, named Basque Grand. He joined the military as a state alchemist." Moody said. Ed's expression seemed to sadden at that. "You knew Brig. Gen. Grand?" He asked. Moody nodded "that's what I just said, boy"

"Then you know what happened?"

Moody looked at Ed suspiciously. "I haven't heard from him in years now boy, what are you talking about?"

"He was murdered not too long ago." Ed said plainly. Moody stayed silent, before saying "I see. He always was a reckless one. Expert in combat, but lacked to proper awareness"

Ed nodded, refusing to look up.

* * *

"Colonel Mustang? Have you heard anything from Ed?" Al asked. They were in the Colonel's office, and Al was worried. Ed usually doesn't take this long to respond, especially when he knows that Al is worried and it is something urgent. Mustang shook his head, saying "Nothing, and frankly, it's getting annoying. He knows he's supposed to keep me updated, and with the situation what it is…"

Al had been surprised at first, at how concerned the colonel had been about Ed. Every now and then he even spotted the colonel looking out the window, as if waiting for an owl to swoop in. Al found it nice to vent to the colonel, who seemed to find it quite alright.

_"He's just so reckless sometimes. Are you sure it was okay to send brother on this mission?" Al asked. Mustang simply waved a hand, saying "Fullmetal won't die easily. You know how stubborn he is better than anyone else. He'll pull through, especially if he knows that it's for the sake of you getting your body back"_

"Do you think he even got it? Should be send in someone?" Al asked, growing paranoid. He hated the idea of Ed being hurt by these people, and it scared him, to think that something might have happened to him.

"We'll wait. If he doesn't respond in the next week, I'll send backup." Mustang said sharply. Al nodded, excusing himself from the room. He needed to think.

He missed his brother dearly, and he found most of his nighttime thoughts occupied by worry. He wanted to be of help to his brother, and he knew there had to be a way. He was confident that Ed would not give up on him.

_I want to feel again. I want to feel human again. I don't know how much more of this empty feeling I can stand. I know I am touching something, but it's like I'm entirely numb, and always have been. I want my body back so badly I can taste it, and I want Ed to get his limbs back. That has to happen first, the automail is so hard on him. For him, I can wait a little bit longer. _

He looked up to the sky, as he imagined a breeze hitting an imaginary face. _Ed, I hope you're alright_.

There was a loud crash, interrupting Al from his thoughts. He had barely realized where he was going, until he saw the smoke coming from the apartment building a bit away from his own current location.

"What was that?!" Al wondered aloud.

"Alphonse!" said a voice from behind. He turned to see a military car coming toward him. It stopped, and the window rolled down to reveal Riza Hawkeye. "Lietuenant!"

"Scar has been spotted in central. That was probably him. You need to stay away from the scene, Colonel's orders." She said. Al shook his head. "I can't! He might be hurting more people!"

"Alphonse, do as the Colonel orders you to. We can't risk this, especially after your last run in with Scar" she said. Al shook his head again. "Unlike brother, I don't have to listen to him. I'm going whether you want me to or not" He said, before taking off towards the scene.

"Alphonse! Get back here!" Riza said, driving after him. As she did she sighed. "The Elric stubbornness truly runs deep, doesn't it?"

When Al reached the site, he was horrified. The whole building had been demolished, and there stood Scar, facing a terrified man wearing an odd set of clothes. He wore robes of a bottle green with stars and moons, and was waving a stick at Scar, yelling odd phrases in what sounded to Al like Latin.

On instinct, Al ran over and was surprised to see Scar looked not only baffled, but also intrigued. Just then, he decided to charge at the man, who screamed.

It was an instinct, Al ran and stepped in front of him. There was a loud clang, and Scar leapt back.

"Alphonse Elric, are you going to interfere with me again?" He said.

"I thought you only targeted state alchemists!" Al said, as the man behind him began to babble in another language. Al thought he recognized a few words as English and wondered if this person was a 'wizard'.

"This man sought to interfere, and for that he is being punished" Scar said, tightening a fist. "If you do as well, then I will deal with you first"

Al didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. He clapped his hands together, and slammed them to the ground.

As the two fought, Al was wary of the man babbling in the background, saying something about magic and help, further convincing Al he was an English 'wizard'

There was no progress. Al would create something, but just as quickly it was destroyed by Scar. It was a back and forth, as neither combatant wanted to give way. Finally, Al had been backed into a corner. He looked around frantically for a place to run. _ As long as he doesn't hit me again. I was lucky the first time since he was prepared to destroy the human anatomy, but this time he won't mess up. I need something to keep him occupied. Anything!_

Just then, there was a loud crash. "How may I be of assistance, Alphonse Elric?" said a loud booming voice, and Al was suddenly unsure whether or not to be scared or relieved.

"Armstrong" Scar growled, turning around. Soon, many military cars had followed, and surrounded him. Al would have been relieved, but he had a sinking feeling it wouldn't last. Sure enough, before he knew what had happened, Scar had disappeared underground once again.

Al found a way to escape, and ran back to the babbling man. He tried his best to recall his English and said slowly **"_A_****_re you alright, sir?" _**The man stopped for a second, before saying **_"I am. Thanks to you saving me_**"

Al nodded, shaking his head to show it was not a problem. **_"Please excuse me. My English is not very good_**" He said, trying his best to be polite. The man waved it off, and Al asked "**_A_****_re you a wizard, sir?"_** The man jumped, looking around quickly.

**_"How do you know about that?"_** He asked sharply.

**_"My brother has friends who are wizards"_** Al replied, remaining calm.

He nodded, before speaking rapidly. Al barely caught the jist of it. The man was saying that he was indeed a wizard, though he cannot use magic here for some reason. Al wanted to tell him why, but he had no clue, how, so he just nodded. **_"I am Alphonse Elric, by the way."_**

The man suddenly nodded, pointing at him happily. **_"You know Edward Elric?"_** Al gasped lightly, before saying "**_Y_****_es. That is my brother"_**

**_"He is doing well. Very studious boy. Always in the library" _**

Al laughed. _It's good to know he's safe._

**_"I am Elphias Doge, It was good to meet you, Alphonse"_** He said, holding out a hand. Al took it, feeling much better.

* * *

"Father! Are we really going to let that Flame Alchemist go?! He burned Lust to a crisp!" Envy demanded.

"My Lust. He killed my Lust" Gluttony said, hovering in the corner. He hadn't said anything else since the incident.

"I won't have that happening Envy. He is a potential Sacrifice" Wrath said, cutting through the expectant silence. Envy turned to wrath, saying viciously, "C'mon Wrath! We can always replace him! There are plenty of candidates in the experimental project"

"Now isn't the time, you two. Envy, have you made contact with any of the targets?" Father said, instantly silencing the quarrel. Envy bowed slightly before saying "I did. I also ran into the Fullmetal brat. He should be being questioned right about now"

"I see, so the plan is going smoothly?" Wrath inquired. Envy smirked. "Of course it is! Soon enough they'll all have the capability to open the gate, and we can move to test out this method. If this works, we should be able to proceed with the main event."

"You both have done well, Wrath, Envy. Keep up the good work" Father said, taking a sip from his glass. "Soon, it will all begin. Just a matter of time now"

**PROGRESS! It actually happened! The plot thickens~. Next chapter is Hogwarts, so look forward to that. The poll for Edward's house will close on October 2nd****. **

**This is becoming really fun to write I must say. **

**Thank you for reading.**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	11. Chapter 11: One Interesting Hat

**OK this took a little bit longer than expected, I hit a massive writers block, and became a victim of essay-mania. For future, please expect new chapters on Sunday afternoons (or nights). I am sorry for the wait. I wanted to make this chapter the best I could, with some fun bits and some serious ones. **

**Unfortunately, there is no flashback reminder for this chapter (yes, that is what I call them), as last chapter was varied, and there was nothing of relevance to this chapter that would need reminding. I'm sure you all know what's going to happen this time around. Hogwarts~**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

Chapter 11- One Interesting Hat

They all woke up early that morning. Mrs. Weasly was yelling at Sirius, in turn causing the portrait of Mrs. Black to yell, and in turn waking up Ed, who was also yelling about demonic women.

Once everything was sorted out, Harry found himself at Kings Cross station, in between an angry Ed, and a stressed Mrs. Weasly. They approached the gap between platforms nine and ten, and Mrs. Weasly said in a distressed tone, "Alright, all of you, get ready. Fred, George, you first"

As they ran towards the brick wall, Harry spotted Ed's confused look. He watched as one by one, the Weaslys disappeared into the brick, in utter confusion. Soon, only Ed and Harry were left. Harry turned to Ed and said "Don't worry, I was nervous too. If you want, you can run. It makes it go by faster"

Ed looked uncertain, and raised an eyebrow. "Is that really ok?"

Harry nodded. "C'mon" He said, and Ed nodded. "On three"

"One…Two…three!" Harry said, and then ran towards the seemingly solid wall, and Harry felt the familiar sensation of running through water.

Then the other side appeared.

Ed looked around in awe, before Harry dragged him over to the rest of the group. Mrs. Weasly hugged each one of them.

"Be careful, stay safe, don't forget to write. I'll see you all at Christmas" She said, a small tear falling.

"Come now mum, we'll all be back!" the twins said, each returning the hug, before walking toward the train. Harry headed for the large black dog which was wagging its tail happily. He spotted the disapproving look from Mrs. Weasly, and did acknowledge that what Sirius was doing was extremely risky. All the same, Harry patted it on the head, saying "I'll see you soon, Padfoot"

After saying all their goodbyes, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ed headed for the train, and boarding, just as the whistle blew.

"Shall we find a compartment?" Harry asked, turning to Hermione, Ron, and Ed. Hermione smiled sadly, saying "I'm sorry Harry, but Ron and I have to go to the prefect's carriage"

Harry's face grew slightly disappointed, before he said "Oh right, I'll see you then" She smiled apologetically before leaving with Ron, who said "Sorry, mate"

This only left Ed and Harry to look for a compartment. Ed let out a yawn, before saying "We better get going" Harry noticed Ed had become a bit more relaxed since the night he revealed his position in the military. He just couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea that Ed might have to go to war one day, or perhaps has already been part of one. It was so surreal, something he didn't think he would be saying, or thinking, what with being involved in the magical world, where everything is about as normal as a green feathered pig.

"Harry, what the hell are you doing?" Ed asked, staring Harry confused, shocking him from his reverie. Harry realized he was face to face with the wooden pillar between compartments, and about to bump into it. He blinked. "Please don't tell me we have to do that again" Ed groaned, clearly remembering the incident while entering the platform. Harry shook his head saying "No, no. I just got lost in thought is all. Let's keep going" Ed shrugged, but kept walking. "These trains are a lot nicer than the ones where I come from. You only get these kinds of compartments in First Class, but here they're everywhere. And the seats look like they won't leave someone with a sore ass" Ed muttered, and Harry couldn't help but snort. _If anything, Ed is interesting. That's for sure. _

"Here, how about this one?" Harry said, pointing to an empty compartment. Ed nodded and they walked in. Ed immediately dropped into a seat, after stuffing his small briefcase in the top rack. He sighed, stretching out luxuriously. "I was right. These are way more comfortable than the ones from home" Harry smiled, saying "Do you miss home?"

Ed shrugged. "I miss the people there I guess. Though, I could live without the bastard colonel. The serial killers would be nice to get away from too" Ed mused, going off into his own series of muttering. Harry stared at him oddly at this. _How much trouble has Ed gotten into exactly, to make him think of serial killers in the plural? He's not exactly a devout supporter of world peace. _

Just then the door slid open slightly, and the head of Neville Longbottom poked in. "M-may we sit here? Everywhere else is full"

"Sure, Neville." Harry said, as the two walked in and sat down. He saw a bleach blonde girl wearing an odd expression on her face, as if she as not even aware. Neville looked at Ed curiously as the girl said "I haven't seen you before. Are you a first year? You look a bit old for that."

Ed looked surprised at her, and Harry was too. _Most people assume he's 11 or twelve automatically due to his height. _

"Oh, this is Ed. Edward Elric, he's starting Hogwarts this year, as a fifth year" Harry filled in.

"Why are you so late?" Neville asked. "I came here from Germany" Ed said quickly, cutting Harry off. Harry closed his mouth, automatically remembering that Ed was incognito.

"Well, Edward, my name is Luna. Luna Lovegood. This is Neville Longbottom" Said the blonde girl, taking a seat in front of Ed. Ed nodded, and Neville asked "Do you know what house you want to be in, Ed?"

Ed shrugged. "Don't know too much about them."

Harry decided to fill him in, and said "Well, there are four. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Huffelpuff. Hermione, Ron, Neville, and I are all in Gryffindor, and so are Ron's brothers and Ginny."

"And I am in Ravenclaw" Luna added, before pulling out a vibrantly colored magazine and flipping through it. Harry spotted the words "The Quibbler" on the cover and vaguely thought he recognized the name.

"Ravenclaws are known for their wit. Gryffindors are known to be daring, and Huffelpuffs are known for their loyalty." Neville explained. Harry was surprised how talkative he was today. Usually he was extremely timid, and rarely did he talk so openly.

"What about Slytherin?"

"You don't want to go to Slytherin, Ed. They say that all the dark wizards go there, and they're all a load of prats with a blood status obsession." Harry said. There was no way Ed was going to end up like Malfoy, Harry was sure of this. He may be somewhat rude, but he wasn't like Malfoy.

Ed shrugged. "Well, I suppose Ravenclaw then as a researcher, that would make the most sense"

Neville looked ready to say something, but just then the woman with the candy trolley came by, and Harry bought his usual, one of everything. There was now a mound of candy boxes and various wrappers sitting on a table in the compartment. Ed looked suspiciously at the candy and Harry grinned, picking up a box of Berty Bot's Every Flavor Beans.

Ed raised an eyebrow, "What do they mean by Every Flavor?" Ed said.

"Literally just that. Every flavor. Chocolate, strawberry, boogers, earwax, even grass." Neville said, taking one cautiously. "My grandmother always bought them"

"Who the hell makes an Earwax flavored candy?" Ed said, wrinkling his nose. "Try one." Harry suggested, handing Ed one. Ed looked skeptical, but took one, staring at it cautiously. He hesitantly plopped it in his mouth, before choking. Harry couldn't help but laugh, asking "What was it?"

"Milk" Ed choked out. Neville looked at Ed confused, "What's wrong with milk?"

"It's disgusting!" Ed stated defensively. "You think so? That's no good, milk helps build up immunity to nargle infection." Luna said dreamily.

Ed looked at Luna like she was a cow, but then said "So what? I'm not drinking the damn stuff"

"But it will help your growth!" Neville said. Ed growled and Harry shook his head vigorously. He seemed confused, before Ed exploded in anger. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SMALL?!"

* * *

"These better not be actual frogs" Ed said, eyeing the package nervously. After the earwax and milk flavored beans, the spicy lollipop, and the cockroach pastry, Ed was prepared for anything.

Harry laughed. "Don't worry it's edible. But you should be careful, or it might escape" Ed paled at this, imagining a dark brown frog squirming around as he attempted it. The thought made him nauseous.

He opened the package with the hands of a surgeon, and slowly opened it. Instantly something shot out at Ed's face, and landed on it. It sprung off of it and out the window. Ed stared out the window in utter shock for a moment, before muttering "What the hell…?"

Harry and Neville burst out laughing, as the compartment door slid open. "What's goin' on here? Ron asked, walking in with Hermione. He spotted Ed and stared at the card.

"Ed's frog just jumped out the window" Harry explained, and Ron was laughing too. "Don't worry mate, it's the card you want. You can collect them" Ed stared down at the card and groaned. "No thanks. You want it?" He said holding out the card. "Are you serious? Paracelsus is really rare, you're really lucky you know" Ron said, staring at Ed in awe. Ed shook his head. "I don't want it. Take it" Ron grinned, snatching the card away. Ed saw Hermione's eyes widen in recognition of the name, and Ed shrugged. _I don't want anything to do with that man. Let alone see his stupid damned face on some trading card. _

As Hermione started rambling on about the Prefect meeting, when once again the door opened. Ed saw a platinum blonde boy standing in the doorway, a smirk planted on his face. Behind him stood two gorilla-like lackeys, staring at the scene dumbly.

"Potter" He said in a drawling voice. Instantly, Ed didn't like him.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry said, not attempting to hide his distaste.

"Just wanted to see why the Gryffindor prefects weren't doing their job. We're supposed to be patrolling the halls" He said with a smirk. As he spoke, Ed immediately thought of Colonel Mustang, and that made him want to punch the guy more. He turned to Ed and said "Who are you, exactly? A first year?"

Ed growled. "Fifth year, actually"

He sneered, saying, "You sure don't look it. What, did you suffer severe lack of growth as a child?"

"Why you damned son of a-"

"Ed!" Hermione hissed, cutting him off.

He wanted to punch the boy so badly, he really did, but the Al-like voice in his head was telling him not to. It took quite a bit of willpower, but eventually he calmed _slightly._

"Says the one bullying first years!" Hermione said accusingly.

"Get out, Malfoy" Harry said sharply. "Malfoy" tapped the badge on his chest and said "You shouldn't be so rude, potter. You see, unlike you, I am a prefect. That means I can take points, and award detentions."

"And you, unlike me, are a git. Now leave"

"Fine, Potter. But be warned. I'll be _dogging _you footsteps this year, watch yourself." He said, before turning to Ed. "And you too, pipsqueak" he said, and Ed snapped. A hand collided with a jaw with a satisfying _crack!_ and in a second they were gone, running away, tripping over their robes.

"That was…" Hermione trailed off.

"Bloody brilliant!" Ron said in an impressed tone.

"No, it was stupid! Ed, he's a prefect, you could get into so much trouble!" Hermione corrected. Ed shrugged. "The jerk had it coming"

"You can't be so reckless, it will get you into a lot of trouble" She said. _You don't know the half of it, Hermione._

"Were almost at Hogwarts! We should change" Neville informed. Ed groaned loudl. "I'm not getting in a dress"

"You have to! It's protocol" Hermione said. Ed scoffed. "No way."

Hermione and Luna left the room to change, and Harry, and Ron wrestled Ed into the uniform. It seemed odd, to see Ed's leather clothes, and the hastily and roughly applied shirt and robe. Ed knew the only reason they had won was because his ports had begun to sting.

* * *

"What the hell is THAT?" Ed said, staring at the horse-like creature connected to the carriage. "Ed, what are you talking about?" Hermione asked. "The thing pulling the carriage" Harry said.

"Harry, nothing pulls the carriage. They pull themselves, just like always" Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Ed rolled his eyes in response. "I am NOT hallucinating."

"Don't worry, Harry, Edward. I can see them too" Luna said from the carriage. "You're just as sane as I am" Ed saw that Harry looked skeptical about that, and he too was not reassured by her words. Even to this freak show of a society, she was not normal.

As they all filed into the carriage, Ed stared uneasily at the odd chimera-like creature, trying to figure out what animals could have been combined. It disgusted him.

An awkward silence filled the air as they neared the castle, and Ed began to think of how old fashioned this school was.

"Is there a reason this is so medieval? Castles, carriages, is there something wrong with just walking? Or I don't know, cars?" Ed said aloud.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you had actually paid attention to Hogwarts: A History, than you would know that modern muggle technology doesn't work here. Machines go haywire what with all the magical energy" She said matter-of-factly. Ed scoffed. "We took a train here didn't we?"

Just then, another thought occurred to him. _How will my automail react to the energy increase? _He remembered the stinging pain in his automail ports, and mentally rattled off a list of choice swears.

When they finally reached the castle, the six students all disembarked and set foot inside the castle. Almost immediately, pain surged in Ed's limbs. As they walked, the pain grew worse and worse, and he was just barely keeping steady balance.

On the way to the Great Hall, Ed was sure he had seen a figure floating in the air, that had thrown water balloons at them. Thankfully, he had dodged the balloon, though it didn't help his pains at all.

"Ed, are you ok?" Neville asked. Ed nodded. "Just little sore."

"Edward Elric" said a sharp voice from behind them. He turned. "Yeah, that's me. What do you want?" She clicked her tongue disapprovingly, before saying "I am the deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagle. I will have to take you now to be sorted into your house. Please follow me." She said. Her staid demeanor immediately made Ed think of Riza Hawkeye, only holding more authority in her tone.

Ed nodded, following her toward the abnormally large doors. _What's the point of such giant doors? Nothing that could possibly come to this school is that size. _Ed was soon shuffled into line with a large group of first years, and groaned. They were all either shifting their feet from nerves, or jumping around eagerly, as the ceremony began. Ed began to take in the whole room. The ceiling that looked so similar to the sky outside, and the floating candles. _I wonder how they prevent wax falling on the student's heads._

He watched as the woman from earlier, (what_ was her name, McDougal?_) placed a hat on the three legged stool and then walked away. Ed was wondering what was the purpose of it, before finding himself with a million questions.

The hat was singing. Admittedly, it didn't have one of the best voices, but it was singing. _Is like Al? Does he have a blood seal? _

Once it had finished singing, the woman came back, holding a roll of parchment (_what's wrong with normal paper, exactly?) _and began to read off names. The students walked up to the stool, and put on the hat. After this, there was a certain amount of time that passed, before the hat shouted out a house. Some people were sorted instantly, others took a bit longer. Soon, Ed heard his own voice called.

"Edward Elric"

Voices filled the room as he walked foreword. What had prompted this was Ed's guess.

He sat down on the stool uncertainly, rather abruptly reminded of the interviews when he took the state alchemist examination. His mind was in a daze, still on the question of the sorting hat's soul. The pain in his ports was not helping at all. He felt the hat placed upon his head and waited, though what for, he wasn't sure.

_"Ahh, an Alchemist. A long time since I have sorted one, Hohenheims?" _Said a voice, sounding far too close to Truth's in Ed's opinion. A voice he couldn't quite discern as anything, other than a voice. He jumped, before thinking distastefully_, Don't remind me. Who are you anyway?_

_"Why, I am the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts. I would have thought that was obvious."_

_No! Who were you before you were attached to the hat?_

_"That is something you shouldn't be concerned with. Now.. let's see.."_

Ed felt a tug in the back of his brain, before memories began playing in his mind. _Stop looking through my head!_

_"This is the only way I can accurately sort you. Now be quiet and let me think! _After a moment of silence, the voice said again _I see… Not many kids your age are able to learn as much as you have. Ravenclaw would take you in with open arms…The loyalty you hold for those close would be widely accepted in Huffelpuff…"_

_DID YOU JUST CALL ME SMALL?!_

_"My my, that temper may not do very well with the soft tempered huffelpuff after all."_

_What's that supposed to mean? _

_"A harsh past… you have performed the taboo?" _Ed froze at this, but knew he had given himself away anyway. "_To come up with such an accurate theory at such a young age is commendable. You aim to perfect this theory then?"_

_All I care about is finding the answers I need to help my brother. Once I get my info, I'm not staying here. Does this really need to be so well thought out? It's ridiculous to base a person's whole school life on one or two traits in the first place. _

_"I quite agree, alas this is my job and always has been. I have been doing this for so long I don't quite remember when I was a human myself. "_

Ed thought on this, and the hat chuckled. _Do not fret. This is my destiny, and I am quite used to the fate. _

People were whispering, wondering in the long silence. Finally, the hat said "_Yes, I think that is the only place to put you… better be… GRYFFINDOR! " _

It said yelling the final word to the hall. Ed sighed, realizing how tense he had been during the interaction. He stood up as many people cheered, or boo'ed at him, walking towards the Gryffindor table, filled with students who were standing and clapping for him. _That was interesting to say the least. I should ask the old man about that. _He took a seat next to an eagerly beckoning Harry, as there was a barrage of words. "Congratulations" "Good job, mate" "You should be proud" As he listened to the voices of so many, a deafening, yet quite soothing. For a split second, Ed felt somewhat normal.

Only for a split second, mind you. After that, he immediately regretted it. _I'm in a school of abnormalities. I'm a military dog on a research mission. This is by no means normal. Besides, I can't enjoy that kind of thing until Al is back in the flesh. Until then, I have no right. _

"Ed! Are you still here?" Came Hermione's voice, as a hand passed in front of Ed's eyes. "Huh? Oh, yeah."

"Dumbledore is speaking" Said a rather irritated voice, which Ed couldn't find the source of. Ed huffed, after realizing he would never find the voice, and turned to see that Dumbledore was, indeed speaking. "To our new students, Welcome, to our old students, Welcome back, to another year at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said, voice ringing through the now silent hall.

"I only have two words for you at the moment, and here they are. Tuck In"

And with that, he was finished. "What kind of half assed speech was that?" Ed said as people muttered excitedly. "Ed! Language!" Hermione scolded.

"That's just the way he is. He gives a proper feast after the feast" Said a boy from across the table. At the word "feast", Ed perked up, realizing just how hungry he was. "Well, we better get started soon, I'm starved!" He said. As he said this, he almost jumped out of his seat. Mountainous plates of food had appeared out of nowhere. One second it wasn't there, the next it was. _The hell?! How is that even possible?! _ Harry and Ron laughed at Ed's reaction, and watched in an amused fashion as Ed cautiously poked the chicken with his fork, as if expecting it to disappear on contact.

"It's not poisoned, you know. The proof is right in front of you" Harry said, obviously holding back a snicker, pointing at Ron, who was digging into a large pile of various foods with gusto. Ed stared at the food a little while longer, before deciding it was safe, and digging in as well.

After a few minutes, Harry, Neville, Hermione, and a few other Gryffindors were gawking at Ed in astonishment.

"Blimey, mate. You eat more that Ron!"

"Boys" Hermione scoffed, but all the same was surprised. Ed barely ever at with the rest of them at Headquarters, and was rarely seen at meals after all.

"You eat a lot for someone so small" Someone remarked, immediately sparking Ed's attention.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THEY COULD BE CRUSHED BY A BEAN?!"

"No one said that, mate-"

Just then, the food disappeared, and Dumbledore stepped up to the podium.

**I love that line "You're just as sane as I am". I don't know why, I just love it so much. It's so good for reassurance, yet it fails so badly. **

**I HAVE REASONS**

**I did some research in the books and movies, as well as the HP Wiki, and I found that the Sorting hat seems to value the student's values and wishes, just as much as their actual traits. **

**WHY NOT HUFFELPUFF? Huffelpuffs have a soft nature generally. This is Ed. **

**WHY NOT SLYTHERIN? Although Ed is most certainly ambitious and cunning, he isn't a Slytherin type in my opinion. For one thing, he isn't even a wizard, and considered a muggle-born, automatically making him unqualified for Slytherin(or at least, it would be horribly hard on him to be placed in a place like that). Also, people of Slytherin nature are generally the type of people Ed hates. The hat wouldn't put him in that position. **

**WHY NOT RAVENCLAW? For a long time I was fixed on putting Ed in Ravenclaw, because of his current situation in the story, and his obvious intelligence and occasional wit. He is also very resourceful, and quick thinking. However, his values aren't focused there.**

**SO WHY GRYFFINDOR THEN? Edward is in general courageous person, who isn't afraid to stick out and say what he feels is right. He values strong resolve and motive, as well as the ability to "move forward" in life. I personally feel that these qualities outweigh his value for wit and intelligence. I am not trying to be unoriginal in any way; rather, this is what I honestly feel is right. **

**Of course, this is all opinion based. Should anyone (I KNOW there's someone) feel I am incorrect in my thinking and don't support my decision, please speak up! I love to hear your opinions about this story, in any shape or form, especially if it can help me improve. I am very sorry if he is not in your desired house, this was a difficult decision for me. I can promise that this story will not take the usual turn however, and I hope you stay with it (though who am I to tell you what to decide?)**

**If you were interested to know, here are the poll results:**

**Ravenclaw: 7**

**Gryffindor: 7**

**Slytherin: 5**

**Huffelpuff: 2**

**Thank you for reading,**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	12. Chapter 12: Voices

**THE MAJORITY OF THIS CHAPTER IS FROM MEMORY! Why? Because I lent my book to my friend. When I say this chapter is from memory, I mean that not all of the events will be in proper order and depiction. I do not have a reference for the order of certain chains of events. Important parts I'll try to look up, but it won't be perfect, so just please keep that in mind. **

**Krazyfanfiction1: He is, but he isn't aware yet. Though that's a good idea, it's definitely possible..**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

_After a few minutes, Harry, Neville, Hermione, and a few other Gryffindors were gawking at Ed in astonishment. _

_"Blimey, mate. You eat more that Ron!" _

_"Boys" Hermione scoffed, but all the same was surprised. Ed barely ever at with the rest of them at Headquarters, and was rarely seen at meals after all. _

_"You eat a lot for someone so small" Someone remarked, immediately sparking Ed's attention. _

_"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THEY COULD BE CRUSHED BY A BEAN?!" _

_"No one said that, mate-"_

_Just then, the food disappeared, and Dumbledore stepped up to the podium._

Chapter 12- Voices

"Now that you are all fed and well nourished, I have a few announcements to make." Said Dumbledore's booming voice, echoing throughout the whole hall, silencing most conversation, which all died down to faint ending conversation.

"See, Ed? Now, he will give his proper speech" Hermione said, trying to forget the sudden outburst.

He gave a huff and turned to his long-bearded headmaster.

"To start off, I have been told once again by Mr. Filch, to inform you all that the forbidden forest is off limits at all times to all students, due to the occupation of many…unpleasant…. things living in there." He said, his tone not changing, but his intention in words unmistakably clear. _What happens if we go in there? I don't think I want to find out. _

"Secondly, I have two staff changes to announce." He said. People began to whisper excitedly to each other.

"Who's it going to be this time?"

"I hope he's not a psycho this time around…"

"What the hell are they talking about?" Ed asked. Hermione huffed, before saying "every year the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher changes somehow. In the past one has died, one was sent to the hospital for severe brain damage, and one tried to kill Harry. This year, everyone is interested to find out who is the next one"

"Speaking of teachers, where's Hagrid?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged, as Dumbledore began to speak again.

"Unfortunately, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher Rubeus Hagrid is on an extended leave, for personal reasons. However, Professor Grubbly Plank was kind enough to substitute for him until he returns." Dumbledore said.

"I wonder what happened to him?"

"I'm glad that big oaf is gone. Let's hope it's for good"

"He wasn't a very good teacher anyway; Professor Grubbly Plank was _much _better a teacher"

"People have mixed feeling about him, don't they?" Ed asked, resulting in indignant tones from many of his fellow Gryffindors.

"And now, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Delores Umbridge" Dumbledore announced, pointing a hand to the short lady in pink who stood u with a sickly sweet smile that made a shiver crawl down Ed's spine.

"That woman! She was from my hearing!" Harry said. "Seriously? That pink horror is part of the government?" Ed said skeptically. Harry nodded.

"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on-" Dumbledore started, before he was interrupted by a shrill, girly impression of what was supposed to be a cough. Every head turned to the source of the noise, which was the very person who had recently been identified. Ed already hated the sound, and had a bad feeling he would hear a lot of it. _I might have to reason with that woman! _

"Hello to all of you! It's so lovely to be at Hogwarts once again, and to see all these happy faces smiling up at me" she said, her tone dripping false sweetness, and underlying venom. Ed already hated her.

No one was smiling at her, most were frowning, even glaring, or silently snorting.

"I look forward to a brand new year with all of you, and I hope we can all be good friends!" She continued.

At this Ed couldn't hold back a snort of indignation. _Right..._

As she went on to speak about the ministry's goals at Hogwarts (or that was what it sounded like for the time Ed had paid attention) Ed slowly felt himself beginning to nod off.

**"Edward..."**

He jumped, as all his senses heightened. He felt alert, ready for a fight. Everything moved slower, and nothing could be heard other than his own heartbeat, which was steadily speeding up. _The hell..._

**"Don't think you can escape from us, Fullmetal. Were still watching you, very closely"** It was most certainly a voice, silky smooth, and with a slight hiss to it_. Where, who are you?_ Ed thought, before, shaking his head. _What am I thinking? Anything can happen in this damned school, I'm probably just tired. _

"Ed? Are you ok?" Harry asked, though Ed didn't pay attention.

"**I'm not your imagination, Edward Elric. I am very real, and very close..."**

"...an intent of preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what ought to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited" Umbridge finally finished, and silence filled the room. Dumbledore was the only one who clapped, followed by teachers, and a handful of students. Ed, of course, did not clap, he felt no reason to, and he had something else to deal with.

**"Practices that ought to be prohibited" eh? Better watch out, Fullmetal~"**

_The hell is that supposed to mean? _Ed thought, before realizing he unconsciously accepted the voice's existence.

**"Took you long enough to realize and to think you're called a prodigy, have standards dipped so low?"** the voice laughed.

_Who're you calling short?!_

"As I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held according to..."

"Ed! Ed you there?"

Ed jumped, whipping towards the voice.

"Oh, Harry..."

"You alright mate? You look pale.." Ron asked.

"Y-yeah! My stumps are just aching" he said, quickly coming up with an excuse. _Not entirely wrong...they do still hurt like hell. _

"Oh of course! I completely forgot about your limbs. It's probably all the magic in the air here, it's malfunctioning" Hermione said. Ed groaned, remembering reading about just that.

"Dammit, isn't there a way to prevent that? There's no way in hell I'm staying like this the rest of the year!"

"I'm sure if you just ask Madam Pomfery about it she will fix it up. She can fix almost anything" she suggested. Ed shrugged. _It would be real nice if she could restore bodies, but that sounds too good to be true. _Ed sighed, knowing full well nothing was going to be made that easy. _Then again, I don't know how Al would feel to be out back in the flesh by something so ominous... For all we know this could be the philosopher's stone all over again. _

He could practically hear Truth laughing at him.

After Dumbledore said his piece, the students all filed out of the Great Hall (whose doors seemed unnaturally big to the young alchemist, what did they think would come in that's so big that the door practically touches the ceiling?). Ed felt something cold rush through him and shivered. He looked up to see a transparent, human-looking thing, staring down at him. It reminded Ed vaguely of the stories he heard about _ghosts._

"W-what the.."

Harry laughed, "Hello Nick!"

"Nick?" Ed asked incredulously. The thing looked at him disapprovingly, saying "Yes. I am Sir Nicholas DiMimsy Porpington, ghost of Gryffindor House. I believe you are the new student, correct?"

"Ghosts? Don't kid around with me. The dead don't come back" Ed said, wincing at the painful memories.

"Well, frankly speaking, I am not brought back from the dead. I am a mere image of the person I used to be" said the thing, (Nicholas-whatever it was) in a proud manner. Ed rolled his eyes. "You're moving around, talking, and thinking like a person. That isn't possible"

"Yet here I am, boy. In the magical world, you would be surprised by what is possible and what isn't"

"I don't care if this is magic or...whatever! Dead people don't come back!" Ed pressed, knowing his voice was becoming desperate. It's not possible!

"Ed, we should get going now…" Harry said uneasily, trying to push Ed away from the scene.

They eventually got out of that mess, though Ed was still confused, and fuming. His mind was so confused with recent events he felt like he was being overwhelmed, until someone tapped him on the shoulder, gaining his attention. "What?"

"I just thought you should probably pay attention here. This is the entrance to the Gryffindor House. The Fat Lady. She has a password, so you might want to remember it." Harry explained, pointing at the portrait in front of them. Ed stared as the woman in the photo looked at him and said "password?"

Ed jumped. "Dammit, first talking hats, then random voices, then supposed ghosts, and now talking portraits! What next, huh? Flying brooms?" He said, after regaining his composure. Harry laughed. "Ever heard of Quidditch, Ed?"

Ed looked at Harry in pure horror.

"Harry! Ed! I know the password!" Came the voice of Neville Longbottom, running up behind the two. They turned to see him panting. "It one I'll actually remember this time! Mimbulous Mimbeltonia!" He said joyously.

"Isn't that the name of that demonic plant you had?" Ed said, recalling the plant Neville had held, which had attempted to drench him in foul smelling liquids, had he not ducked for cover. Neville nodded, stepping into the now opened portrait. As they entered, the room got silent, and Ed saw two boys glaring at them, whom Ed recognized as Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas, who he had met in the Great Hall.

"Hello, Harry! Ed!" Said Dean, beckoning them to come over as conversation started once again.

"Hello Dean! How was your summer?" Harry replied, as Ed waved.

"Better than Seamus's"

"Me mum didn't want me to go back to Hogwarts this year" Seamus said sharply.

"What? Why would she want that?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because of you, Potter" he said, tone dripping irritation and accusation.

"But, why?" Harry said.

"Well… It's not just you, it's Dumbledore too... She's been reading The Prophet"

"The Prophet? She believes the prophet? The same paper that calls me an attention seeking liar, and Dumbledore a batty old fool?"

"Yeah, so what?"

Ed couldn't take being silent anymore. Though he wasn't quite sure what it was that drive him, the skepticism, or the fact it wasn't going anywhere.

"You shouldn't believe what your damned government publishes"

"Who are you to talk? You don't know what's going on!" Seamus said.

Ed glared at him "I know enough of what's going on to know your government is not only incompetent but filled with sick idiots who can't tell the difference between a legitimate threat and a teenager's imagination!"

This outburst caught the attention of most surrounding people in common room. Whispers broke throughout the room, while others seemed stunned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Moldyvort, or whatever his name is."

At the name "Moldyvort" Many people laughed.

"Voldemort" Harry corrected, soft enough for only Ed to hear. "Yeah yeah, whatever his name is. My point is, even with blatant claims to his arrival, they are doing nothing. Considering he's supposed to be a big deal, you would think to at least be more careful, right?"

No one spoke at this, until a voice broke through the silence. "What's going on here?"

They all turned to see Ron Weasly walking through the portrait door, followed by Hermione Granger.

_Damn, mustang is going to kill me isn't he?_

The vice from earlier laughed in the back of Ed's mind, and Ed shook his head. _Get the hell out of my head!_

Ed headed for the portrait hole, holding his head as if in pain, though it didn't go unnoticed. "Oi!

Ed! Where are you going?" Said two voices Ed knew well. He turned to see the twins standing behind him, practically clones of each other.

"I need to go to the infirmary, my head's killing me" he said, holding his head to emphasize the claim. They looked confused. "You don't even know where it is!" Said George, immediately followed by Fred saying "how are you planning to get there?"

"I'll show you!" Said a random girl from the crowd, one that Ed could not identify. Her suggestion was followed by high pitched giggles which confused Ed quite thoroughly. "I'll figure out how to get there myself" Ed said stubbornly. "Not in that condition!" Ron said from the back.

"I'll be fine!" Ed said with a sense of finality, before trudging out of the room and through the ever-so-ominous portrait hole.

"Going yourself may not be wise, dear" said the fat lady (somehow).

"Yeah yeah, I'll be fine" Ed said, waving her off. _I can't believe I'm talking to a portrait._

After a long time of simple wandering, Ed ran into a greasy haired man, who gave Ed a disgusted look. "Students should be in their dorms, what are you doing out so late?" He said, dragging his words in a dull hiss.

"I need the Infirmary" Ed said plainly.

"I need the Infirmary, Sir" The man said. Ed rolled his eyes. "Just tell me where the infirmary is, would you?"

"What house are you in, boy?" The man demanded. "Gryffin…something. Now can you answer my question?" Ed said. He wasn't in the mood to deal with authority hogging jerks.

"Very well. Ten points from Gryffindor, boy. And for future notice, refer to your superiors in proper fashion." He said, before walking away swiftly. Ed rolled his eyes. _Couldn't care less about points, I just want to find the damn infirmary! _

"The infirmary is down the hallway, to the left" Said one of the portraits. Ed turned, ready to snap, before nodding at it and walking away.

_Speaking of the Colonel, I haven't heard from anyone back home in a while now. Did something happen? _Ed didn't like the prospect of that, not in the slightest.

When he reached the Infirmary, he was immediately greeted by a stern looking woman. _Why is it that all women like this? It's always wrenches, guns, and punches with them. Even here, they all have this intimidating aura to them_.

"What is it? You're up late aren't you? Why aren't you in your house common room?" she asked, all in quick succession. _ And just as curious._

"I-I needed some treatment!" Ed stuttered, holding his hands up in defense. She scoffed. "What do you need?"

"Well, you see…" Ed trailed off, realizing he had no choice. He pulled up his long sleeves and revealed the automail. "I have two mechanical limbs, and lately they've been hurting like hell"

She nodded in understanding "You're the student that the Headmaster mentioned, then. I see…" She examined the limbs before ushering him to a bed. "Sit tight, I will have to give you a potion to relieve the pain. I will perform so magic on the machines so they stay in working condition, however, you will need to come weekly to renew it."

She left the room, and after a short while she returned holding a cup of purple liquid. "I may taste rather bitter, but drink it all, understand?" Ed nodded, taking the cup. He quickly took a large gulp of it, before coughing and doubling over. "I told you didn't I?" She said, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

Ed scoffed, before drinking the rest of the foul liquid. He felt the pain almost immediately fade away. Madam Pomfery began to mutter under her breath, holding her "wand" to his left leg. Once she had finished, she told him to stand up. He did as he was told and was surprised how normal it felt, after the long period of stinging pain.

"Unfortunately, I cannot regrow your limbs. They seem to be impossible to retrieve, as if some form of dark magic is layering the places where they were cut off. I'm sorry, dear" She said, eyes softening. Ed shrugged. "It's fine. I had a feeling that would be the case."

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you lose those limbs?"

"Something really stupid I did" Ed said sharply, and thankfully she seemed to get the message.

Ed yawned, and she immediately returned to her previous demeanor. "Now get to bed, for heaven's sake! Don't forget to come in next week!" She said, pushing him out of the room. The door slammed behind him and he sighed. _I guess that's one more lead gone._

* * *

"Look at today! History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts! Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and Umbridge all in one day!" Ron complained loudly.

"Ed, how on earth did you already lose points?" Hermione asked incredulously. Ed shrugged. "Some guy bumped into me, I asked where the infirmary was, he told me to call him sir, I told him to give me an answer, he took points, and left."

"That was probably Snape" Harry said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "He's the head of Slytherin, and favors them.

"Sound like a grand joy to be around" Ed said, tone dripping sarcasm. The voice had not returned since the previous night, though Ed was still worried. His nerves were set farther on edge by the fact that he had heard nothing from Al.

"Ed, you look troubled. Are you alright?" Hermione asked, waving a hand in front of his eyes. Ed nodded hastily. "Yeah, I'm fine"

* * *

Ed stifled a loud yawn with his gloved hand, as he listened to his teacher talk about nonsense. He kept going on and on about the essentials of "potion making" and it was becoming monotonous. He didn't understand what was so intimidating about him, especially compared to a certain housewife he was familiar with.

"Mr. Elric" That slick, drawling voice said. Ed looked up at his teacher, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yes, Sir" He said, commandingly. Ed grinned. "No need for that, I was fine with Mr. Elric, ya'know." Some Gryffindors laughed at this, but were silenced by a glare in their direction.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, for your insolence. Now, would you care to tell me what the next step to this procedure is?" Snape said slyly. Ed shrugged. "That's what you're supposed to teach us, isn't it? Or are you that bad at your job?"

"A further ten points from Gryffindor, and a detention, Mr. Elric"

Ed rolled his eyes, as the teacher stalked back to the front and continued to scribble down the procedure. "You have the rest of the class to complete the first part of this potion. When you come back, it will be ready for the next step." He said. No one moved and he groaned in irritation. "Well, get to it!"

People hastily scrambled to the supply closet, and Ed was about to head there as well, when he was stopped by a hand. "Do not think that I am unaware of your reason for being here. I know exactly what your goal is, and who your superiors are. I recommend not letting this get in the way of your time here, and for a peace maker, you really are stirring up far too much trouble for your own good" Snape hissed.

"Yeah yeah, the old man told me all about that. I don't need any advice from _you." _Ed said.

With that, he headed for the supply closet to collect his supplies. _What a collection! Cockroaches, snails, eyeballs, what kind of ingredients are these? _

Once he had everything he needed, Ed returned to his table and began to work. He was surprised how naturally it came to him. _Makes sense, I suppose. In theory, it's the same as Alchemy. _

Half of the allotted time had passed, and Ed finally sat down in his seat, finished with his work. Snape walked over to his desk, as Harry gawked at him from the seat next to him. His potion was nothing but a black sludge, as oppose to the light orange of Ed's. Snape stared at it, seemingly trying to find a fault, before giving a grudging nod, and writing a sloppy 'o' on Ed's paper.

"How did you do that? Even Hermione isn't done yet!" Harry whispered. Ed shrugged.

"I guess I'm just a genius, aren't I?"

**I am not entirely sure if I spelled Grubbly Plank's name correctly(as well as a variety of other things), so if someone can verify I would really appreciate it. **

**Thank You For Reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	13. Chapter 13: Demonic Old Woman

**I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, to be honest. I will most likely go back and edit it, possibly even rewrite it. However, I can assure you that the content itself will not change. I simply want to make it a bit better grammatically and such. **

**However, I have been doing my best! I have had a lot happening as of late, so I'm sorry if this chapter ends up being horrid. **

**Anyway….**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD , OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

_Once he had everything he needed, Ed returned to his table and began to work. He was surprised how naturally it came to him. Makes sense, I suppose. In theory, it's the same as Alchemy. _

_Half of the allotted time had passed, and Ed finally sat down in his seat, finished with his work. Snape walked over to his desk, as Harry gawked at him from the seat next to him. His potion was nothing but a black sludge, as oppose to the light orange of Ed's. Snape stared at it, seemingly trying to find a fault, before giving a grudging nod, and writing a sloppy 'o' on Ed's paper. _

_"How did you do that? Even Hermione isn't done yet!" Harry whispered. Ed shrugged. "I guess I'm just a genius, aren't I?"_

Chapter 13- Demonic Old Woman

One the class had ended, Ron let out a loud, and long lasting groan. "Next is Umbridge, this is going to be a nightmare" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come on, Ron, for all we know, she could be a wonderful teacher! Even if she is a bit off" Ed shook his head at this.

"I bet my owl that she's a demonic woman with no sense of the current situation"

"What makes you say that?" Hermione asked curiously. "Experience." Ed said plainly, leaving the girl far more confused than she had originally been. Harry decided to pipe in as well, saying "I remember her at my hearing, she was one of the people who voted that I be expelled"

Ron looked back at him incredulously, before he turned back to Hermione. "Do you really expect someone like _that_ to be a good teacher? She's probably off her rocker!" Ron predicted.

"Here it is" Harry said, staring at the door. It had a picture of a kitten, right next to it, which made Ed sick to his stomach. "Al.." He muttered. He hadn't heard from his brother in a long time, and he was beginning to wonder if everything was alright. He wanted to send a letter, but his owl hadn't returned, and he didn't quite trust the school owls. Harry's and Ron's owls were also out delivering letters, which was rather irritating. He didn't care about his report, he would be happy to stop giving them in fact, but Ed wanted to hear from his brother. It frustrated him to no end that there was no news.

"Ed, you okay?" Hermione asked, her voice full of concern. Ed nodded quickly. "Fine, let's head in"

They opened the door to the room and went to sit at the desk. It was very neat, and full of pictures of cats. Ed sighed in annoyance, staring at the empty blackboard in front of him. He wondered about how his previous teachers had been able to write on them, by simply waving a stick, without any chalk whatsoever. He continued to muse on theories, until finally she spoke. "I think we are all here now, so let us begin."

Her voice was extremely sweet, and slow moving, as if she were talking to toddlers. "Good morning class"

A few people muttered a "good morning", but otherwise, no one spoke. She frowned. "Now that won't do, let us try once again. When I say "Good morning class", you will all respond, "Good morning, Professor Umbridge". Now," she walked down the aisle beside Ed, saying "Good morning class"

"Good morning professor Umbridge" said a monotonous harmony. She sighed. "Well, I'm sure you will all improve in time. Now, let us begin." She pulled out her wand sharply, with a small _whoosh_. "As you all know, you have had several teachers for this class in past years. All of them of certain varieties, though none very effective to the Ministry's specifications."

"Professor Lupin was a great teacher!" piped up one student, only to be stopped by a pointed glance. "That half breed could not have _possibly_ been a good teacher. What you need to learn is proper spell _theory. _So take out your books, and put your wands away_, _please" She emphasized her last word, as if forcing it out as to appear polite. Many students groaned and put away their wands, but Ed didn't do anything when she said this. In all honesty, he hadn't touched his wand since entering the school. He found no reason to, and he preferred not to if it wasn't necessary.

"But Professor, won't we need to practice spells?" Hermione asked. "Please raise your hand" She said, eyes closed and voice raised.

Hermione did so grudgingly, and repeated herself. "Well, you won't need to practice spells. There's no reason for you to practice using them. As long as you understand the theory that's all that matters." Umbridge said with a smile.

"But what if someone were to be attacked? How would we defend ourselves without any practice?" Harry called.

"Who on earth would do such a horrible thing, exactly, Mr. Potter?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort?" Harry called out. Everyone turned to him, and some gasped, hearing the name. Ed still didn't quite understand why it was such a big deal. Sure, he did a hell of a lot of damage, but that's no reason for them to treat the name like a curse.

"I won't have you saying such absurd things, you seem to be under the impression you will all be attacked! Now, who on earth would want to harm children such as yourselves?" Umbridge said, an underlying force to her voice. Ed rolled his eyes. "Do you realize just how stupid you sound?" He piped up, gaining everyone else's attention. He saw in the corner of his eyes that Hermione was panicking, worrying as usual.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Mr. Elric?"

"I said, do you realize how stupid you sound? Saying that nothing will hurt us, what about all the people who follow that guy? Even if Harry _was_ lying, that doesn't change the fact we should know how to defend ourselves!" Ed protested. As people stared in awe, Umbridge appeared to be growing red in anger. "It appears you don't know how to properly respect your elders, Mr. Elric, perhaps a detention should serve you some good?"

"But he's right!" piped up a boy in the back. What was his name? Dean?

"Students will raise their hands before speaking in my class!" she snapped, voice growing higher in pitch.

"Why is Ed getting detention for telling the truth?" Harry demanded, not at all paying attention to her orders. "I'm not lying about Voldemort coming back, _I saw it happen!"_

"I will not have you spouting such utter lies in this classroom!" Umbridge protested.

"Why are you so sure it's a lie? Isn't it at least worth checking out?!" Ed said, and that seemed to be the last straw.

"Potter! Elric! Both of you will have detentions for the next month, starting this Friday" She said, her voice cracking, which seemed odd and out of place for a grown woman.

With that last outburst, the argument subsided, as she seethed in rage. "As well as a fifty points from Gryffindor House!" They all groaned in disappointment.

"Now…" she breathed heavily. "Both of you take these to your head of house" She said, scribbling something on two pieces of parchment, and sending the two out.

* * *

As Al sat in the library, his thoughts began to stray. He couldn't concentrate, not with so much on his mind. It had been a week, and no news had come from Ed, which worried him. _The last I contacted him, I told him about everything I found on Homunculi, it was all in code, but could something have happened? Maybe they got to him? Is it my fault for telling him everything?_

He was so occupied, he didn't even notice when someone opened the door to the library. "Alphonse?" Said a voice Al immediately recognized. "Lieutenant Hawkeye!"

The blonde haired lieutenant walked up to Alphonse, with her usual passive expression. "The Colonel wants to see you"

Al instantly perked up. _Now's the perfect chance to ask him!_

After cleaning up his study space a bit, he left with the lieutenant, eager to find out about his brother. Before he knew it, he heard a low toned, commanding voice saying "Come in"

He immediately opened the door, and Mustang said "Alphonse, good to see you. Sit down" Al did so, waiting to hear the news. Mustang took a breath.

"We haven't heard anything from Fullmetal." Al slumped in his seat, not even trying to hide his disappointment. _Too much to hope for, I guess._

"So I have talked to the Fuhror. He says we are allowed to send in another military official to check on him." Mustang said, resulting in Al's immediate response. He perked up once again, asking "Who are you sending?"

Mustang shook his head. "We don't know yet. I'll let you know as soon as we have a person decided, but they won't reach there for a while. It'll take at least a week, since we don't have that strange technique to transport them."

Al nodded, feeling a bit disappointed. Deep down, he knew he had hoped that perhaps, the Colonel would send him, though he knew that it would be impossible. It was frustrating, knowing that his older brother, whom he cared so deeply for, could be in danger, and that he couldn't do anything about it. Ed, who was doing so much in an attempt to get Al's body back, even if it was something he didn't like. He even became a dog of the military, which got him into this mess.

_Maybe it is my fault, or maybe it's just that I miss him, I've been lonely before, but he was always there for me, and I always knew I wasn't alone. But now… _Al mentally shook himself. _Stop thinking like that! I have to get Ed's body back if it's the last thing I do! _

* * *

"Stupid oaf. That capture was way too easy." Envy scoffed, tossing the large, bruise covered body to the side of the room. "When I heard he was a giant, I expected something a bit _larger, _ya'know?" A loud groan was head from the recently tossed body in the corner of the room. "Shut up!" Envy commanded, walking over to the body and kicking it.

"Envy, leave it alone" said a quiet voice. "It needs to get back to the school after your fun"

"Don't you think I know that, Pride? It'll be more convincing if it was as beat up as we can get it!"

"All true, but we can't have him dying either"

"Whatever. How's the Fullmetal pipsqueak doing?" Envy said, clearly showing that the topic was closed. Pride shook his head, saying in an irritated tone "Just as much of a nuisance as always. It appears he will need a bit more of a push before anything else."

Envy grinned, "Well, we can provide that push. After all," He held up a large bundle of envelopes. "He's in the dark."

"Be careful, Envy. Wrath is sending in another officer, so we can't do anything too obvious." Pride warned, not liking the look in the shape shifter's eyes.

"I know that! It'll be fine, and get the job done after all. Those stupid humans won't know what hit them" He said, a laugh emanating throughout the room, as the blue glow of many orbs shined on their faces.

* * *

Ed yawned loudly, as he sat at the Great Hall, devouring his breakfast with gusto. He had woken up far too early, and decided to simply use the day for his research. After all, he had no homework to worry about, and no classes to attend. He was in the middle of biting into a piece of bread when something sharp hit him. His head snapped up, as he said angrily "What the hell was that for?!" Before he realized it wasn't even a person, but a _bird_, that had hit him. He stared at it, before realizing it was none other than _his _bird, the one he had longed to see.

"Whip?" He said and it nodded. He had wanted to name the bird Whippersnapper, but the owl (and some others) had protested, for some reason. In result, Ed ended up shortening the name to simply "Whip"

He immediately noticed he was holding a letter, and untied it from the owl's leg. His spirits lifted, as he saw Al's handwriting scribbled on the paper. _Oh how I miss seeing actual paper_. He ripped it open right then and there, ignoring the stared he got from the other early risers.

_Dear Brother,_

_I hope you're doing well, a lot has been happening lately, so I haven't been able to reply to your messages. I found out a lot in my recent research, about Homunculi. Apparently, they're exactly what we thought, artificially created humans. They are really hard to kill, since they have a bunch of souls inside them, functioning as their heart. I'm planning to find out more about tem by capturing one._

_I can already hear you yelling at me for trying something like that, but I have to do it. I'm going to purposely get attacked by Scar, and since I'm important to them, they'll come to make sure I don't get killed. Hopefully it will work, but I promise I won't get killed, brother!_

_The colonel is furious at you for not reporting in! You need to stay on top of that, brother! How's that school treating you? I hope your automail is okay, especially with so much unknown energy around. _

_I hope you're being safe._

_Al_

Ed smiled, seeing the signature. But that smile almost immediately disappeared as he remembered the contents of the letter. "That idiot.." He said disapprovingly. _Should I go back? I can't let him do something that risky!_

He stood up from the table, and gripped the letter firmly.

"Ed? Are you alright?"

"What's wrong, Elric?"

Ed ignored the voices of his fellow classmates and headed for the library.

**_"Why don't you just go back? I'm sure if you ask that headmaster of yours, he'll make an exception." _**Said that voice Ed so despised. It reminded him far too much of the being that he called Truth. Ed reluctantly nodded, hating the idea of agreeing with the ominous voice. _That may be the best solution, I need to check something too, back in Resembool. But.._

**_"Why hesitate? He's your brother"_**

_Something just doesn't feel right. Now, either get the hell out of my head, or tell me who you are!_

**_"You really are short tempered aren't you?"_**

_"Don't call me small!"_

The voice just laughed, and Ed felt the urge to hit something. Oh how he wished he knew this person's identity, so he could give them a good,proper punch to the face.

_Maybe I should ask the old man…_

The voice continued to laugh, and Ed grunted in frustration. _WOULD YOU SHUT THE HELL UP?!_

**Alright! Things are happening. I must ask you all, who do you think will be sent to England from the military, to check on Ed? They will most likely not show up until after the next chapter, BUT, you all know I am curious of your thoughts. **

**This chapter will most certainly be re-edited. However, I will let you know if plot changes. **

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	14. Chapter 14:Cronies and Festivities

**"Why is this so late?!"**

**My answer is simple. I have something rather special prepared, and in order for it to work, it needed to be late. I haven't been at my best lately, so please excuse any horrific writing. **

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHRHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES! **

**_"Why don't you just go back? I'm sure if you as that headmaster of yours, he'll make an exception." _**_Said that voice Ed so despised. Ed reluctantly nodded. That may be the best solution, I need to check something too, back in Resembool. But.._

**_"Why hesitate? He's your brother"_**

_Something just doesn't feel right. Now, either get the hell out of my head, or tell me who you are!_

**_"You really are short tempered aren't you?"_**

_"Don't call me small!"_

_The voice just laughed, and Ed felt the urge to hit something. Oh how he wished he knew this person's identity, so he could give them a good punch. _

_Maybe I should ask the old man…_

Chapter 14- Cronies and Festivities

Ed's eyes fluttered open to see parchment. As his sight adjusted to the room, he realized he had fallen asleep among a large pile of books. He looked down at his "travel log" groggily, seeing that the point of his pen seemed to have trailed off the parchment, leaving a trail of ink behind. He grunted in displeasure, and mentally berated himself for leaving such crucial material out in the open.

When Ed finally finished cleaning his work space, and returning the books to their rightful location, he began to explore the school. He had originally intended to study some of the portraits, or even get a sample of some of the potion ingredients to research, but he ended up simply walking.

Ed was most certainly _not_ one to stroll around aimlessly looking at scenery, but even he couldn't help but admire the place. Hogwarts Castle was on its own level of absolute superiority to what he had originally thought to be mansions. In fact, the great hall is roughly the same size as the Tucker estate. It was the definition of medieval, the very essence of abnormal, and the home of a never-ending fantasy. One could never say they knew everything about it; that was the type of place it seemed to be. Whenever you felt you understood it, it did a 180, and you were left clueless once again. It wasn't unlike a small child, who found joy in messing with their parents, and having fun trying to be unpredictable.

Ed hated it. It was as if the castle itself were mocking him, daring him to try and learn all he can, and knowing he could never do it. He hated the small things in this castle that resembled the Tucker estate, such as the statues, or the dishes. He hated that it was so unpredictable, and could turn a person on its head.

As he walked, the whispers of portraits could be heard, a hushed cacophony of voices, muddling together in his brain like soup. Some said things that had nothing to do with anything, some tried to stop his march by challenging him to duels, some suggested he was infected with an odd disease he couldn't remember. Every now and then he would pass a group of students, whispering or giggling about some joke they had made. He was quite sure he had seen someone who looked like a first year, though he seemed much younger. The boy gave off the impression of someone well nourished, and untroubled. It wasn't something Ed was unfamiliar with, but it still gave him a pang of nostalgia, to the days when he had no worries. He had a happy family, a good friend, and everything was laughs and tricks.

"Oi! Ed!" Came a voice shocking him out of his thoughts abruptly. "There you are!" He looked up to see a panting Ronald Weasly standing in front of him. Ed rolled his eyes. "What do you mean, "There you are"? I told you I went to the library" Ron shook his head. "Then why are you on the 4th floor? The library is on the 2nd. You do know there's a quicker way to Gryffindor tower, right?" Ed blinked. _Since when was I on the 4__th__ floor? I only went up one flight of stairs didn't I?_

"Besides, you've been gone for hours! It's nearly time for dinner!" Ron added, motioning for Ed to follow him. Ed perked up at the mention of food, as his stomach seemed to agree with the prospect of being fed. "yeah, I've been doing a of research" He said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Then I fell asleep. I'm kinda surprised that evil librarian didn't kill me for it"

The librarian, Madam Pince, was a sharp looking woman who would find any excuse to get mad at you. She and Ed had already started on bad terms when she saw the state in which he worked. She said it was "unhealthy for the book's bindings" should they be left open in such positions. Ed had merely scoffed and said questioned why it would be so important, resulting in a loud row, which only ended with the intervention of Hermione Granger, someone who Madam Pince seemed to like. Ed had made sure before he fell asleep, to pick a spot where he was out of her sight.

Ed suddenly froze, remembering what he had been doing before falling asleep. "Actually, Ron, I need to see the old man" Ed said. Ron looked at Ed as if he were an elephant. "Are you out of your mind? Don't you remember? We have to finish that essay for McGonagle or she'll turn us into cats!" Ed shivered at the thought of _Ron_ telling him to do homework; it was a daunting prospect if he was becoming _responsible_.

"Since when did you care about teacher opinions?" Ed asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly. Ron blushed slightly, saying "I don't I just don't want you being on her bad side. She's really influential and can probably screw up your whole mission if you're not careful. Her words carry a lot of weight."

Ed knocked on Ron's head lightly, saying in a joking manner "What's this? Ron, actually being considerate? Has the world gone mad?"

"Well, I mean, that's what Hermione told me to tell you at least…" Ron muttered. Ed nodded, mouth forming an 'o' in understanding. "Now it makes sense"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed laughed out loud hearing this. He had to admit, these people were growing on him, it felt as if so much pressure had been lifted, knowing he didn't have to continue to tell such blatant lies, and he didn't have to be so secretive. He still couldn't forgive them for what they had done, he still couldn't forget their intrusion, but he could live with it. Besides, the last time he had felt the way he did with these people, was long before anything had happened. His time with Al, Winry, and his parents. _It's nice to make the most of it, even if this whole thing is just an illusion. A small distraction from my true goal. _

"So, where's the old man's office again?" Ed asked, reverting to the original topic of discussion. _What am I thinking? I need to hurry the hell up and check on Al! I'm such an idiot!_

"What, you're still gonna go?"

Ed shrugged. "Yeah, I need to talk to the old man. So, any ideas?" now it was Ron's turn to shrug. "Not a clue. I heard it switches locations" Ed groaned at this. "Why are the things in this damn castle so confusing?" He asked, looking to the ceiling, demanding an answer. However, the only response he received was a few laughs from portraits. "I believe his office is on the 6th floor, to the right." Said the picture of a knight, posing in a ridiculous manner. Ed nodded. "Thanks" Ron groaned, saying "I'm going with you. I don't need to get killed by Hermione cause of you"

Ed waved it off taking off towards the stairs. He could hear the hurried footsteps behind him and knew that Ron was indeed following him.

After the short trek to the 6th floor, Ed saw something that immediately caught his attention.

Draco Malfoy and his cronies. Ed groaned. "Damn, your everywhere aren't you?"

Malfoy smirked triumphantly at this, oh how that look was sickening. It was a smaller, prissier looking image of a certain pyromaniac.

"Well how strange to see you two here, what are you doing?" Malfoy asked in that drawling tone of his.

"Nothing you should worry about. Now, we need to get going-" Ed attempted to push past them, but was held back by one of the gorillas. Ed struggled in his grip, but to no avail. The boy had an iron grip.

"Now that's no way to address you superiors, Elric" Draco said, and Ed heard the boy holding him give a low toned "yeah" in agreement.

Ed decided to give the boy a punch with his right hand to the stomach, and was pleased to find the tactic effective. The boy doubled over, and Ed immediately pushed past them, dragging Ron with him. "We don't have time for your crap, Malfoy." Malfoy looked stunned at this, and opened his mouth to take away points, before Ed grinned, turning a corner. He could hear Malfoy yelling "Get back here!" and laughed. Once they were certain they had lost Malfoy, Ed slowed his pace. Normally, he wouldn't have run, but today he just didn't want to deal with it. He just wanted to find out about Al.

_I can't believe I fell asleep, and then wasted all that time when Al might be in danger! What kind of brother am I?_

He rushed through the hallways, receiving many stares as he went, until he finally reached the large statue of a gargoyle, which Ed stared at curiously. He could hear Ron behind him panting heavily, muttering something about bloody chickens and freakish foreigners. He rolled his eyes, and reached out to touch the gargoyle, before jumping out of his skin as it turned to him sharply.

"Password?" It said, as Ed panted, gulping down air and trying to right himself.

"Bloody hell!" Ron swore from behind him, followed by a string of other curses.

Once he had finally calmed down, Ed began to wonder about how the thing worked. _Is there a soul bound to the statue too? That seems to be the cause of a lot of this. _

"Password?" The gargoyle repeated, more forceful this time.

"I don't know! I just need to see the old man!"

"Can't get in without the password,"

"I can find your blood seal!" Ed growled. Ron looked at Ed curiously, most likely wondering what he was talking about. Of course he had absolutely no intention of erasing it, but the gargoyle didn't need to know that. The gargoyle recoiled slightly, before saying "Edward Elric?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah, that's me. It seems everyone in this damn castle knows me before I know them, doesn't it?" he said, venom dripping from his tone.

"Alright, you can go in then." The gargoyle said gruffly, and behind him appeared a spiral staircase embroidered in gold, with an eagle in the center. Ed was a little miffed at the easy entry, but let it go, not quite caring about it at the moment. He dashed up the stairs and banged his metal fist on the doors. "Old man! Open up, we need to talk!"

"Ed, I don't think you can break in there" Ron said, seeming to try and soothe Ed's anger. At this, Ed was once again miffed, not used to hearing a voice of reason from Ron of all people.

A calm, "enter" came from the depths of the room, and Ed didn't hesitate to barge in. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, quite relaxed. It bothered him to no end.

"Ah Edward, how nice to see you on a pleasant day such as this." Dumbledore said with his signature smile.

"I need to go back." Ed said, not at all attempting to beat around the bush. Ron made a noise of protest at this, but was completely ignored as Ed waited for Dumbledore to speak. He took his time doing so, saying "Why would you need that?"

"Al, he's in danger!"

"Who's Al?" Ron asked, though he was once again ignored.

"Are you referring to his plan?" Dumbledore inquired, surprising Ed profoundly. "How..."

"It has already happened, Edward. Your brother is safe, and they were successful" At this Ed temporarily relaxed before asking "How do you know this? How do I know you're not lying?"

In response, Dumbledore held up a letter for Ed to see, smile still ever-present on his lips. It bothered Ed to no end, oh what he could do to get that damned smile off his face.

"I happen to be in close contact with your superiors."

"Oi! Edo! What's goin' on here?" Ron said, very loudly to prevent being ignored again. "What are you talking about?"

Ed turned to Ron, mentally debating whether or not to say anything. Just then, Dumbledore spoke.

"Oh, I am sorry for leaving you out of the loop, Mr. Weasly. We were discussing some affairs in Edward's home country. He seemed to be worried about his brother, being the caring older brother he is" Ed couldn't help it as his cheeks burned at this

"Whatever. Can I see the letter, Old man?"

Dumbledore nodded kindly, handing it to Ed. Ed took it and read it, muttering to himself.

It was all written in the colonel's writing, and he could tell by the speech pattern. Ed was slightly irritated that the bastard had been coming into contact with Dumbledore and giving him information about Al, but not even telling Ed, his older brother who cared about Al much more than this old man could ever imagine.

"You two should get going to the great hall" Dumbledore said genially, and Ron nodded eagerly at the prospect of dinner.

Grudgingly, the two left the office, and Ed began to mutter to himself darkly in his native tongue. Ron looked somewhat frightened by the mutterings, but Ed didn't particularly care. When they reached the great hall Ron immediately ran to the table to take a seat by Harry and Hermione, who looked like they had practically broken their necks from swiveling them around looking for them.

"Where were you? It's been over an hour Ron!" Hermione demanded, causing Ron to flinch.

"Ed went to see Dumbledore" Ron said hastily, holding his hands up in surrender.

Harry looked irritated at this and Ed suddenly remembered. _Dumbledore has been ignoring him. He probably doesn't even want to hear about the bastard. _

Ed took his seat across from Harry, and looked around in awe. He saw a few teachers holding their wands to pumpkins, and levitating them into the air. The pumpkins appeared to have odd faces on them and were glowing like candlelight. It looked very odd, and seemed to be intent for intimidation, though badly executed.

"What are they doing?" Ed wondered aloud.

"Halloween decorations. Don't you know? Tomorrow is Halloween, there's a big Hogsmede trip for it." Hermione explained, though she seemed shocked.

"What's Halloween? It sounds ridiculous" Ed scoffed, filling his plate with piles of food.

His friends seemed to stare at him in absolute shock, and Ed was at a loss. Was _Halloween_ really that big a deal?

**WOW NO LINE BREAKS THIS TIME! It's a miracle.**

**See you with another chapter soon! **

**Thank you for reading**

**-SevenBlazingSkies**


	15. Halloween Special!

**Ta-DAA! A Halloween Special!**

**This is not a real chapter, just a series of fun moments, showing the shenanigans of our favorite Hogwarts students (and a certain alchemist with a napoleon complex). Even though I haven't gone out trick or treating for a good 4 years, I still want to show **_**some**_ **spirit!(get it? Spirit? …. Sorry, that was a bad one)**

**Anyway, have a very Happy Halloween! Please Enjoy!**

Halloween Special- Nasty Tricks and Interesting Treats

In the morning everyone was up and about, whispering to each other excitedly. The word "Halloween" was very popular, as well the word "Hogsmede".

"Ed! You're going to Hogsmede right?" Asked a few younger boys who were by now quite familiar with him, and his attitudes. "What's that?" He asked, though he knew he had heard about done trip beforehand _Oh right, the letter._

_Fullmetal,_

_I was told you needed this thing signed for a trip for research. It's enclosed in the envelope. Don't forget your reports, and watch your back._

_Colonel Roy Mustang_

_The Flame Alchemist_

The signature made Ed's skin crawl, though he had no choice but to use the slip.

He decided to follow the crowd, and the plan worked for the most part. He soon found himself standing in the entrance hall, walking over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Oi! Ed! Over here!" Harry called.

When Ed reached then Hermione asked "This is your first time in Hogsmede, right?" Ed nodded. She clapped her hands in triumph. "Alright, then we'll show you some good places."

When Ed handed Filch his slip, he raised an eyebrow at him. Ed shook his head and walked foreword, leaving the caretaker stunned.

And with that, they were on their way.

In the Honeydukes sweet shop, Ed was staring quite confused. "What the hell are these things?" he asked, pointing to a slimy looking thing with legs that was crawling on his arm.

Hermione wrinkled her nose, averting her gaze, before saying "Cockroach Clusters. They're a type of edible treat. They're disgusting, though"

Ed sighed "then what's the point of them?" he said, about to return the box to its position on the shelf before pausing. "You know… I actually think I have someone who may like it…" Hermione turned back to him in horror and he grinned. _Mustang, watch your back. _

"You truly are evil, aren't you, Ed?" Harry said in a tone that sounded like partly admiration and partly just plain shock. Ed grinned even wider, and chucked darkly.

* * *

As the group walked through Hogsmede, they talked about many things. Among them were Ed's nature, and the purpose of Halloween.

"What's the point in going having a day dedicated to this stuff? People play tricks and stuff all the time" Ed questioned.

Hermione sighed. "It wasn't always like that you know, Ed. Honestly, they didn't have any form of Halloween in your country?" Ed shook his head at this.

She opened her mouth to speak, before she was interrupted by a drawling voice none of them wanted to hear.

"Hello, Potter" spat a voice in utter disgust.

they all turned, to see none other than Malfoy and his cronies.

Ed wrinkled his nose at the sight, his metal fist clenching out of instinct. Ed felt a sudden need to vent his annoyance on something.

"Malfoy," Harry growled in annoyance. _Couldn't he ever give them peace?_

"What the hell do you want this time?" Ed demanded.

"It seems you've gotten into the spirit of things, Elric. That's quite the costume" Malfoy sneered, looking Ed up and down. "As expected from a mudblood"

"I don't think you have a right to criticize my clothing, considering you never take off that stupid uniform. you look like you're wearing a cape every day, and that's not a good thing."

Malfoy wrinkled his nose at this, before turning back to Harry. "Potter, I hear you've already gotten a detention. I'm impressed.

"So what? That old hag would have accepted the truth!" Ed said, before Harry could reply.

"For your insolence, Elric, I'll have to give you a detention." Malfoy sneered. To this Ed rolled his eyes, before getting an idea. _Costumes, they said, right?_ He clapped his hands together subtly before pulling out his wand and quickly think of the proper formula. He set the process into action, and the result was immediate. Draco Malfoy no longer looked like a slick haired prat.

He had ears, a tail, and fur. Malfoy was a boy in a ferret's skin, robe nowhere to be found. Ron and Harry burst out laughing, doubling over and holding their stomachs. Even the two gorillas behind Malfoy snickered a bit. Hermione smiled, as if she was using all of her willpower to not burst into an outbreak of mirth.

Malfoy looked down in shock and horror, which quickly turned into a look of pure rage. "ELRIC! YOU LITTLE-"

Ed immediately reacted, once again channelling his energy into the wand. _Dont you dare call me little!_

There was a small _pop_! and Malfoy fell back as something exploded in his face. Ed grinned, as he saw the slight burns on Malfoy's face. They were very intricate, and created the likeness of whiskers and rings around the eyes.

_I never thought colonel bastard's alchemy would come handy._

Malfoy let out a high pitched screech, before fleeing the scene, yelling something incomprehensible.

Ed was still grinning, and Ron turned to Ed in joy. "That was _brilliant!_"

* * *

"Edward! How's your day?" came a pair of light hearted voices Ed knew very well. Turning, he saw of identical grins looking back at him. Ed raised an eyebrow, "What do you want?"

"You make us seem like a pair of devilish nifflers! We just came to you because we had a proposition for you, which we happen to think is in your favor" George said, a twinkle in his eyes.

"What kind of proposition?"

"We have a certain set of items, part of a new line of goods. We need some people to test it on, and we thought you would like a say in who would have the _honor" _Fred explained, and Ed's interest was peaked.

It was obvious that they were planning some nasty prank, as that seemed to be part of the tradition for this odd holiday, and Ed had quite a few people in mind. He grinned evilly, mentally plotting exactly how he wanted things to go. "I'm in"

"That's what we like to hear!" They said in unison. "Now, we can proceed"

The trio secluded themselves in a corner of the common room; and the planning began.

"Ever since you can to us with that request, we have been thinking of exam dung our collection of explosive items." Fred explained.

"Firecrackers, dung bombs, smoke, that kind of thing" George added.

"We heard about your interaction with Mr. Malfoy, quite impressive." Free continued.

"And so, we humbly request your help in aiding the future of pranks!" George finished.

Ed thought immediately of a sea of straight faced students with panda eyes and whiskers. The idea was quite amusing, though he didn't like the idea of burning innocent people's faces.

"Not to worry! These tricks are only for the cold hearted prats" George reassured, as if reading Ed's mind.

Ed blinked, before grinning. "Alright then"

_"That day, the students were filled with confusion and amusement at the sight of Severus Snape, Delores Umbridge, Professors Trelawney and Filch all with varieties if animal faces burned in their skin. No one understood how, and many wild stories were told, but the truth was never unfolded"_

* * *

"And then, _Bang!_ The lights came on, and they saw the worst sight they could ever see," Ron said, face hollow from the light from his wand. Everyone gasped, on the edge of their seats, save for Ed, and a few older students.

"Snape, in a dress and a handbag"

Neville squealed, but everyone else groaned. "That was awful, mate!" Dean said, turning his head away.

"It wasn't scary at all!" Hermione added.

"It was rather stupid, Ronnie" Said the twins, still grinning in a content manner.

"That _did _suck, you know" Ed said seriously.

"Like you could do any better" Ron muttered, irritated. Ed grinned. "I bet you 10 galleons I _can_"

Ron looked at him in shock, as the others once again appeared interested. "What, you have a good story?" Seamus questioned. Ed grinned, "Brace yourselves"

As the group gathered around the fire, Ed sat in the middle, flame behind his back.

"It all started with the travels of two brothers. They were quite curious, and decide to travel to a town in the desert, where they heard of a certain priest, who was able to bring back the dead." The others shifted in their seats, some looking a bit more uncomfortable than others as the flames flickered in their faces.

"When they heard the rumors, they knew that they just had to check it out. They braved the journey across the desert on foot, with many treacherous falls in the sand to conquer, until finally, they saw the town. The brothers were so excited, mostly for food and water, that they sprinted there, happily, one may say"

"How is this a spooky story?" Dean whined. Ed rolled his eyes. "If you wait I'll tell you." Dean scoffed.

"_Anyway,_ the brothers eventually got the food they so desperately wanted. Though, very quickly, they realized there was a voice playing throughout the whole town… It was the voice of their leader, telling them to pray to an unknown god that seemed to only exist in the town itself. No records of the religion had ever been found, and it was very strange for the brothers. So strange, in fact, they decide to meet the man in charge."

"This is starting to sound like something Harry might do" Seamus said in a dark mutter, resulting in hurried "shhh"s from the other listeners.

"Along the way, the two brother's ran into a girl who was an avid follower of the religion. However, she was very blunt, and outright insulted one of the brother's. She then showed the brothers the way to the leader's lair."

"When led in, they were greeted by two men, holding sticks. They didn't question them, understanding these were harsh times. Everything was perfectly fine. Until the older felt a bad feeling in his gut. Suddenly..."

Ed pulled out his wand with a swift flourish and pointed it at Seamus's neck, resulting in a rather high pitched squeal.

"They attacked!"

They gasped, and Ed smiled at the reactions.

"The brothers fought back, but soon became overcome. Thee let watch in horror as the younger's head was lopped off"

Hermione shrieked softly, and Neville jumped back.

"The elder screamed in terror and grief. And he was dragged to see the leader. The leader sneered at him, and held up a ring."

"The ring was everything the elder could have dreamed for, it made everything and anything possible. It could bring back his brother. But alas, it was not meant to be! Too grief stricken, he could not do a thing as slowly, but surely, he was tossed to the ground..."

Ed noticed that several of them were panting, and staring at him closely, and knew he was doing well.

"The man held an axe above his head,But hesitated. The brother looked up, and froze. It was..."

The room was silent, waiting for the answer, not daring to miss it.

"His brother."

A collective gasp echoed throughout the room.

"The elder was shocked to see the younger's face melt into nothingness and he knew no more. They say if you got to that town even now, you will find them, waiting for you. They will follow you, and see on who's side you are truly on…"

With this, he concluded the story, and undid the lighting that came from the wand.

"That was much better than Ron's!" Harry said approvingly.

"Though not one of the best.." Dean conceded.

As they remarked on his performance, Ed didn't quite care. The story was terrifying for _him_, it was one compiled of every fear he ever had in his mind. The embodiment of his worries and terrors.

Something he hoped could only ever be fiction.

* * *

"Hey colonel! We got a letter from Ed!" Al said joyously. He held out a package for the colonel, labeled "Colonel Bastard" in Ed's handwriting. Roy took it cautiously, opening it with the hands of a surgeon. Inside, were different pastries which looked like beans. Al eagerly took the letter and began to read aloud.

_Al,_

_You won't believe what's happening here! There's this holiday, apparently, and it's called Halloween. People go and dress up in costumes, and go from door to door asking for candy. They call it "trick-or-treating". It's so odd_!

"That sounds ridiculous. If anything, they're just mooching aren't they?" Roy scoffed.

"So do they like to play tricks as well then?" Al wondered.

"It sounds dangerous" Riza added.

_Apparently it's a spooky holiday, and is associated with ghosts and such, and pumpkin carving. Doesn't it remind you a bit of the Harvest festival at Central? _

"Oh yeah... We were always so busy we decided to celebrate on our own time" Al said happily.

_That bastard, Malfoy, he was trying to pull something on us today, so I decided to try out the whole "costume" thing, and turned his dress into a ferret suit. Apparently something happened last year that I don't know about, involving him and a ferret, they were all grinning for the next couple hours_.

"That's our Ed, always reckless..." Al sighed.

Roy bit into one of the beans, before choking.

"Sir!" Riza said. He gulped, saying, "dammit!"

_I got a bunch of these disgusting looking things for the colonel. They're called "Cockroach Clusters", disgusting things, they actually move. Though, they'll probably stop moving when they get to you, what with the energy stop and all that._

"Why didn't you mention that later?" Roy choked out.

_Anyway, tell him they're presents from his favorite alchemist, and that they're a unique type of black beans. _

_Hope your doing okay,_

_Ed_

Roy growled at this. "Damn you Fullmetal, I'll get you back just you wait..."

** D**

_**So basically, we learned a lot today. Have a Happy Halloween, and watch out of the ever-so-elusive twins. **_

_**Thank you for reading**_

_**-SevenBlazingSkies**_


	16. Chapter 15: An Old Friend

**I am so sorry! I don't know what the heck to say, other than sorry! **

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST,FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD, OR ANY PART OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES!**

Chapter 15- An Old Friend

They sky was clear, and cloudless. There was a light breeze, and the sun had only risen recently. The light hit Ed's face, and reflected off of his metal arm, which was slightly exposed. He breathed in the fresh air, staring at the horizon, deep in thought. _I never really thought about it, Al. You're so far away, and something happened, I wouldn't know until I was told. _

He was worried sick. Ever since he found out that his younger brother had captured and homunculi, while using himself as bait, he had been worried. He didn't like the fact that Dumbledore had been told of this, and not Ed, his older brother.

All is one, One is all. If one dies, all will continue on, as if nothing happened. One becomes part of all, and goes through the cycle again. The moment when he had realized this simple reality, while on the verge of death, and filled with hopelessness, it seemed so majestically fitting for the whole world. It became the rule he abided by for the rest of his life, everything was to be put in perfect balance. Then he was sent here, to this place that went against all laws of nature, logic, and of course, equivalence. Every time he tried to understand it, or try to apply equivalence, it just tossed him backward, and he once again was back at square one. It was the awful feeling of going around in pointless circles.

The water was eerily still, to a point it seemed almost unreal. Even the ripples from awakening creatures were no longer seen, or was that just him?

If only that stillness could be found at home.

No, there was no stillness at home. There was war, corruption, and death. There was sadness, hardship, and hate. But there was also happiness, and hope. It was hard to find, but it was there. People smiled, had fun, and lived their normal lives to their best ability, it was a wonderful, if not dim, light to the slowly closing darkness and foreboding sure to come.

The high pitched giggles could be heard from nearby, and on instinct, Ed covered his prosthetic arm. He stood up, and stretched, before making the short trip back to the monstrous castle. Laughs and muttered conversation became more apparent, as the morning wore on and people began to groggily trickle out of their dorms. Ed decided to simply head for the Great Hall, as there was no point in going back to the common rooms.

When he dropped into his normally taken seat, he was surprised to see that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were soon to follow. Usually they weren't this early. In fact, they were more commonly part of the swarm of students who could just barely wake up in time to have a decent breakfast, before they began to worry about classes. Ed groaned in annoyance at the thought that a week had already gone by, and he had a detention to go to after classes. He had hoped to simply skip it for the library, but he knew that Professor McGonagle ("grubby old cat lady…") would have his head. He gave a loud sigh, as the trio approached him, talking in hushed voices.

"No! You ask him!" Hermione said.

"Why me?" Ron asked, voice cracking. Ed vaguely wondered what on earth they were talking about, when Harry pushed Ron foreword towards Ed.

"Oh, 'ello Ed" Ron said, voice weak and unsure. He looked to be practically cowering in fear. _What the hell happened to him?_

Ed raised a golden eyebrow at him, asking cautiously "What's wrong with you?" _do I even want to know?_

"Well, erm… there's this huge man. He said something about you; we think he wants to see you. He was speaking gibberish, though."

Ed wondered at that. As far as he knew, there wasn't anyone here in England like that, was there? Perhaps he was from Amestris? _A military officer? No, colonel bastard would have at least told me if he was sending someone in for backup…_

"Y-you should probably head out and see him, classes will be starting soon" Hermione said carefully. _Sheesh, their all spooked._ If anything, Ed was worried. _What is this is one of my enemies? What if it's the person in my head? No, he wouldn't just walk up to me like that would he?_

"Ed? Is there something you're not telling us?" Hermione asked nervously. _Right on the nose…damn it. _

"Nah, just thinking. I'll go see who this guy is then" Ed replied hastily, getting up from his seat, and grabbing the half eaten bread on his plate. Harry looked at him oddly, but strangely enough, said nothing.

As Ed made his way to the entrance hall, he couldn't help himself from wondering about how the three were acting. They all seemed to be scared of him, and anxious. Ed didn't think he did anything wrong, but then again, perhaps that was just them. He mentally shrugged to himself. _Not that it particularly matters, but really, did this guy scare them that badly? _

When Ed reached the entrance hall, he didn't see anybody significant. He realized that he had never asked where they had found this man. He mentally berated himself harshly, before running through a list of possible locations. He finally decided to check the gates, provided he could even get there without being found by the cat loving man. He had around an hour before classes started, not that he was in danger of getting in trouble from an _apparition _that gave history lessons. Ed was quite sure the thing didn't even know his name.

He reached the gates, before freezing in absolute horror. It was a person he did not expect to see, neither was it one he was entirely fond of seeing.

_Damn you, Mustang_.

Armstrong. Alex Louis Armstrong, AKA the "Strong Arm Alchemist." He is a member of the military, and a hulking man, with highly exaggerated muscles and build. Thankfully, not many people came by the gates, but it was a huge problem nonetheless. Ed was tempted to simply turn around and leave before he was notice, but of course he wasn't so fortunate. _I can blend in with these black robes!_

"**Edward Elric!"** Came a loud, booming voice from behind him in Amestrian. _oh crap… I'm too late. _

Ed did the reasonable thing and did not turn around. He did not want to be suffocated, and he didn't want to explain anything.

He ran.

Unfortuantly, he forgot that Armstrong was supposed to be a "perfect specimen" with a "perfect physique", in other words, he could easily catch up to a teenager in a dress like school uniform.

**"My, my, Edward Elric, you seem to be out of practice"** He said, grabbing Ed by the collar. **"It's not my damn fault! It's the stupid uniform"** Ed scoffed. **"Besides, what the hell are you doing here?" **

To this, Armstrong simply put him down, allowing Ed to turn to him.

"I was ordered her by Colonel Roy Mustang" He said, as if Ed was supposed to know this. As a matter of fact, Ed was quite sure that if the Major _was_ here, then he_ should _know about it. But why didn't he? Surely the colonel wasn't one to screw up on the job.

**"He didn't tell me anything about it, and how did you know to come here anyway? How did you even get here? What about the wards?"** Ed fired his questions one after another, but he was surprised when Armstrong leaned down, to look him in the eye.

**"The colonel is a good man. He was worried that you had broken contact with him, and sent me for back-up." **Ed was surprised by the solemn tone in which Armstrong said these words. He was far more accustomed to the extravagant, egotistical, and proud man who would be overdramatic, and scared many people. He remembered all the times Armstrong had saved him, no matter how absolutely odd the experiences were, and how he had always cared, in his own ways. Ed shook his head.

**"Whatever. Where are you gonna stay anyway?"**

**"I was given a room in a town close by, called Hogs Meak!"** Armstrong said proudly, standing up back at his full height. Ed groaned.

**"Hogmead, you mean?" **

**"Is that what it is called? What an odd name…" **Armstrong looked almost disappointed to hear the real name of him new living quarters.

**"Not like your name was any better,"** Ed scoffed. **"Look we have a lot to talk about, and I have a lot of questions, but for now I need to go before the cat lovers find me. I'll come by later"** He said, before turning and waving a hand behind him.

He reached the great hall, and was immediately greeted by Ron, Hermione, and Harry. "Who was it? What did they want?" Hermione questioned frantically.

**"It was nothing!"** Ed said, before noticing his use of the wrong language. "I mean, it's nothing important"

"Hey, mate, you can tell us if something's going on, you know…" Ron said uncertainly. Ed shrugged. "Someone from work. That's all. There's nothing wrong"

"Work? You mean a soldier?!" Ron said, resulting in the turning of many heads towards them. Ed glared at them, and Ron covered his mouth quickly. "But, why is someone from your work here?" Hermione asked. Harry remained silent, which began to bother Ed. Usually, he would have said something by now, especially if it was such an odd situation. All of Ed's senses were on alert, when they most likely shouldn't have been.

**_What is this? Suspecting your friends, are you?_**

The one voice that never ceased to send chills down Ed's spine, that made every fiber of his being scream in irritation and confusion.

_Wha- no! Stop jumping to conclusions, who are you anyway?_

**_What, you didn't figure it out yet? I've said it before, but for a prodigy, you're rather hopeless aren't you?_**

_How the hell am I supposed to know who you are?!_

**_Figure it out._** The voice said laughing. "Well screw you too." Ed muttered under his breath. "Er, Ed? Are you alright?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Fine, just a bit tired"

"But, do you know why that man is here? Where is he staying? How did he get here?" Hermione continued to fire questions at him like missiles. "Why didn't you tell us about it? IS he a muggle?"

"Geez, Hermione! I can't even think with all those questions." Ed said, clearly annoyed.

* * *

"Colonel? Was it really alright to send Major Armstrong over there? He's not exactly stealthy." Al asked, clearly worried. He was pacing, and Roy knew that if he had a face, he would have an intense frown.

"He'll be fine. Probably" Mustang said, waving off Al's worries with ease.

"But colonel! What if brother only gets more stressed?"

Roy looked up from his paperwork, face unnaturally serious. "This will be good for him. He needs someone like Armstrong to ease his stress, especially right now. Despite his looks, the major is extremely capable."

Al could only stare at The Flame Alchemist, awed by the thought put into the choice of his brother's helper. The usually boisterous, arrogant man, he knew so well, and that his brother often criticized, seemed to be showing another side to him. He was finally showing the side that Al had frantically tried to convince his bother existed, even if he wasn't here to see the proof. He felt reassured, worries fading away, and the shadow of what felt should have been a smile crawl onto his nonexistent face.

_Soon I'll be able to smile for real._

* * *

Ed groaned in absolute annoyance as he was dragged out of the Gryffindor common room by Hermione. "You can't just skip this! She's with the ministry, and she's a teacher!"

"So what? I have more important things to deal with!"

"You can deal with them later! Now, hurry up and let's go!" and with that, she dragged him away. Harry had already left, though he hadn't said a word. Ed was beginning to seriously worry about him, he hadn't spoken a word to Ed all day. At first he had assumed he was simply shocked, but now the whole day had gone by without a word. _What caused this?_

When they finally reached Umbridge's office, Hermione glared at him, before leaving. "Just take the punishment, Ed. Better than getting farther on her nerves, especially in your case."

Ed groaned, turning to the door. _No choice, huh? _

He knocked on the door, and immediately heard a sickly sweet, "Come in" He gulped, before entering the room

He was immediately greeted by perfume, and the color pink. Pictures of cats covered the walls, and the room reeked of strong perfume that wasn't unlike the smell of an artificially scented flower (only about 10 times worse).

"Ah, how nice of you to join us, Mr. Elric" Said the pink toad herself, from her spot in the chair.

He immediately saw Harry, who was holding a quill in one hand, and was clearly very pale. Ed wondered what exactly he was in store for, before he was ushered into a seat facing the opposite direction. "You are going to be writing lines."

When told this, Ed immediately dug for a pen, before he was stopped by a vice-like grip. "No, no. You will use a very special quill I have prepared for you. Understand?" She said, tone separated and slow moving. Ed groaned, as she handed him a quill. He noticed that he hadn't been ink, and that Harry didn't seem to have ink either.

"You will be writing the phrase _I must not speak out against authority, _Write it as many times as it takes to sink in" She emphasized the last two words, making Ed get a shiver down his spine.

"Don't I need ink?"

"Oh no, that won't be necessary." She replied quickly, smile seeming to widen. The look was one that was able to thoroughly creep him out. Ed shrugged, wanting to finish quickly. He put the odd object to the parchment, and braced himself for what would surely be a few long hours of writing. He began to write, only to hear a high pitched scratching sound, and see shreds of steel on the paper. Ed paled.

_Oh no…_

"What on earth was that?" Umbridge gave a small shriek, before rushing towards him, and grabbing his hand. Before Ed could protest, she roughly pushed back his sleeve, revealing the metallic arm. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, before asking "Can you write with your other hand?"

"Yes" came Ed's immediate reply.

"Then do so." She demanded sternly, before heading back to her desk. Ed rolled his eyes, before moving the quill to his right arm. Harry was looking at him oddly, and Ed shrugged, before starting to write.

_I must not speak out against authority._

_How ironic_, that was the only thing Ed could think as he slowly formed the words.

That was before the pain came. He couldn't hold back a hiss, as a white hot pain enveloped his hand, spreading throughout his body. He saw the red liquid pouring from the quill; he saw a red stain spread on his white glove. Ed took off the glove hastily, staring at the letters engraved into his own skin, with his own handwriting.

"Is something wrong, Mr Elric?"

Ed shook his head. He refused to give the old hag satisfaction. He continued to write, entertaining his scientific mind with ideas of how the pen worked. It intrigued him, and was a great help in blocking out the severe pain he felt coursing through his veins.

Hours passed by, and it was only after the cuts had become noticeable letters, that the two were set free from their prison. Ed stretched, wobbling on his feet down the hall. His sight was slowly fading, and he could vaguely hear someone's voice.

"Ed?"

He couldn't tell anymore. Was it an enemy of an ally? Was it the boy walking beside him? Was it one of the portraits? Was it perhaps, the voice that had haunted him for so long? Ed had lost track of everything, his vision had grown blurry, and begun to darken.

"Ed!"

There it was again. The indiscernible voice. Though, it began to become clearer this time. Or perhaps, it was merely shaping itself to the voice he wished?

"Ed! Answer me! Please!"

"…Al?"

And all faded to black.

* * *

"Oh! Ed, are you alright?"

Someone is speaking again. Who is it? The voice is most certainly feminine, was it Hermione?

As Ed's vision began to clear, he saw a mess of bushy blonde hair. "Ed! You passed out!"

"What?"

He was still groggy. He had no idea what had happened. He only remembered walking out of the classroom, and hearing Al calling him.

"Al?"

He turned, and was faced with a large, pale face, and a pink sparkle, before the grogginess was knocked out of him.

"GAH!" Ed screamed loudly, shooting up from his seat.

**I'm sorry, if you can't tell, I strongly support the father/son relationship between Roy and Ed. **

**Unfortunately, I can no longer promise regular updates, due to personal matters. But as I have stated, this is a story I WILL finish.**

**Thank you for reading**

**~SevenBlazingSkies**


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